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 & Design in Cork, Ireland. He lives with his wife KC in Waterville, where he maintains a studio and works as an art preparator for the Colby College Museum of Art.
Russ 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. He recently participated in an art residency on Great Spruce Head Island, summer home of Maine art icons Fairfield and Eliot Porter.
Russ has shown his work at many venues throughout Maine. He has also contributed to auctions for Maine Audubon Society, Maine College of Art, Harlow Gallery, Maine Island Trail Association, Maine Preservation, and Cape Elizabeth Land Trust. He has completed commissions for individuals and institutions, including the Colby College Environmental Studies Department, and Piampiano Law Offices. Five of his paintings are permanently installed in MaineGeneral Medical Center.
