Leslie Mahon-Russo
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I was born in Hawaii, in 1951. I grew up in the Bay Area and my family had a cabin In Mendocino, a very artsy village. My parents were art collectors, especially drawn to abstract art. I'm sure that had an influence on me. I went to college at Chico State University and graduated as a Registered Nurse/School Nurse. I did not take art classes at the University, but sure wish I had. Eventually, at the Chico Art Center I took watercolor painting classes from a grouchy, but brilliant painter/teacher. My paintings then began to move to the more abstract. My work as a school nurse, counseling and teaching pregnant and parenting teens, may have helped me learn to navigate the realm of abstraction as well as develop a fascination for it.
My husband and I worked and lived in Chico, until a year and a half ago when we moved to McKinleyville. We love it here! And, I am thrilled to be a part of the Trinidad Art Gallery! |
My paintings are abstractions on wood panels or oil paper. My painting process uses cold wax, which is watery and cold, to which I add oil paints. I mix these up together, creating various colors of cold wax. The tools I use are, paint knives, squeegees of various sizes and brayers to move the wax around on my substrate. I create many layers, especially on the wood panels. I also use powdered pigment, oil sticks, charcoal powder, chalk, bamboo sticks to draw back into the painting, etc.. The paintings take awhile to set-up and dry before they can be handled much. Sometimes I have an idea of what I want to create, but most often I make it up as I go. I get a lot of my inspiration from the beautiful rocks I collect on Clam Beach!
These are some representative pieces. Please visit Trinidad Art Gallery for the latest available pieces.
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