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. 

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https://portlandartgallery.com/Directed by Lamia Lazrak with Cinematography by Sean Thomas