ABOUT

Matthew Russ was born in Portland, Maine and raised in nearby Cape Elizabeth. He earned a B.A. from Colby College, majoring in studio art with a concentration in oil painting, during which time he studied for one year at Crawford College of Art in Cork, Ireland. He lives with his wife KC in Waterville, where he maintains a studio and works as a preparator for the Colby College Museum of Art.

Russ has explored many parts of Maine, and he celebrates Maine’s landscape in his paintings.  He always paints from life, working outdoors in all seasons and often backpacking into remote locations. He especially enjoys painting in protected lands, such as the Kennebec Highlands, the Morse Mountain Conservation Area, Camden Hills State Park, and the islands of Penobscot Bay.

Russ is represented by Art Collector Maine, with galleries in Portland, Kennebunk and Cape Neddick. He has also shown at Window Tree Gallery, Maine Lakes Resource Center, Schoolhouse Gallery, Harlow Gallery, L.C. Bates Museum, Legacy Properties Sotheby's International Real Estate, Waterfront Fine Arts, and Waterville Creates. 

Russ has contributed to auctions for Maine Audubon Society, Maine College of Art, and Cape Elizabeth Land Trust. He has also completed commissions for individuals and institutions, including Colby College’s Environmental Studies Department and Piampiano Law Offices in Yarmouth. Five of his paintings are permanently installed in Maine General Health's new hospital in Augusta.