My paintings are a composite of recollections and an evolution of the familiar. The paintings have grown from landscape representation toward the portrayal of spirit and atmosphere of place. I began to add rain to the landscapes, trying to convey the meditative poetry of the moment and the essence of atmosphere. I found that in doing “rain” paintings of places and things that I found meaningful, I was closer to portraying the mystery of their presence. In those paintings, it is intentionally unclear whether you are in the rain, looking out at the rain, or remembering it. The landscapes turned in to familiar objects. Rain accompanies images of my mother’s old hats, evening bags, family mementos, our dogwood tree, and personal treasures. Most recently, I have painted the image of an old “Camel Can” which always set on the family desk, and held a changing trove of treasures. The spirit of the Camel Can and other objects is reverent, whimsical, and often melancholy. And, it is not always raining.

In the beginning of the rain paintings, I painted the image first, and then began pouring, drizzling and dripping gouache over the top. I added and subtracted until the process felt complete. More recently, I have been starting the paintings by loosely painting or printing abstract, textural backgrounds before adding the images. Often I make the background by doing several layers of watercolor monotype color and texture before starting the painting. I find that this “jump starts” the work, throwing me into a moving process. I use gouache, gum arabic, various masks, and paint removal techniques that allow me to move freely through the work, change my mind, and incorporate mistakes. This activity emphasizes and facilitates the element of mystery and spirit. It is exciting, unpredictable and very much about the moment, each action and decision leading to the next.

 

Present Position

• Instructor: Watercolor, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, Ca.
• Private classes at Kay Russell Studio

Education

• M.F.A., majoring in painting and drawing, June 1974, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
• B.S., majoring in art, 1968, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.

Previous Teaching Experience

• Professor: Drawing and Watercolor, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, Ca. 1998-2012
• Instructor, San Francisco State Extention. San Francisco ,2012.
• Instructor: Watercolor, University of California, Berkeley Extension, San Francisco, 1986-98.
• Instructor: Watercolor, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, Ca., 1986-87.
• Instructor: Figure Drawing, Painting, Watercolor, de Young Museum Art School,
  de Young Museum, San Francisco, Ca., 1979-87.
• Instructor: Drawing, Design, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, 1976-79.

Curatorial Experience

• Associate Curator, Art Exhibition Program, San Francisco International Airport,
  San Francisco, Ca., 1980-82.
• Curatorial Assistant, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 1978-80.

Selected Exhibitions

• Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce, Solo Exhibition, Mill Valley, CA., 2017.
• Zeitgeist, Petaluma Art Center, Petaluma, CA., 2016.
• Juan R. Fuentes Gallery, Accion Latina, group exhibition, 2016.
• Crome Architecture, solo exhibition, San Rafael, CA., 2016.
• Water and Fire, juried exhibition, Art Works Downtown, San Rafael, CA.,2015.
• Recollections,Trition Museum, one-person exhibition, Santa Clara, CA., 2014.
• Lakes Basin Review, one person show, ArtWorks Downtown, San Rafael, Ca., 2014.
• Shadows, 3-person show with Patricia Ancona and Claudia Tarantino, ArtWorks Downtown,
  San Rafael, CA., 2013
• Art on the Farm, juried exhibition, multiple locations, Marin County, CA., 2012
• Trition Museum Statewide Exhibition, 1st place, Santa Clara, CA., 2012
• Morris Graves/ Kay Russell,Reflections from the Lake, Bolinas Museum, Bolinas, CA.. 2012.
• Elements, Art Works Downtown, juried exhibition,San Rafael, CA., 2012.
• Retrospective/Instospective, Kay Russell, Helen Stanley, and Rodger Jocobsen
  City Arts Gallery, San Francisco, 2012
• Falkirk Annual Juried Exhibition, Falkirk Cultural Center, San Rafael, CA. ,2012.
• Asia Observed, juried exhibition, Marin Art Council, San Rafael, CA, 2011
• Landscape Abstracted, Marin Art Council, San Rafael, CA., 2011
• Geography of Hope, Art at the Cheese Factory, invitational, Gallery Route One, Point
  Reyes Station, CA. 2011.
• Small Works, juried exhibition, Art Works Downtown, San Rafael, CA., 2010
• Private Eyes, Artist’s Visions, juried exhibition, Marin MOCA, Novato, CA., 2010
• Falkirk Auction Exhibition, Fallkirk Cultural Center, San Rafael, Ca., 2010, 2011, 2012
• Marin County Exhibition, merit award, San Rafael, Ca., 2010
• Bolinas Museum Auction Exhibition, Bolinas, CA., 2010
• Ways of Seeing, juried group exhibtion, Marin Art Council Gallery, San Rafael, Ca., 2010
• Bolinas auction exhibition, Bolinas Musseum, 2010
• Kay Russell, Helen Stanley, Patricia Ancona. three person exhibition, Fallkirk Cultural
  Center, San Rafael, CA.., 2010•Small Works, Art Works Downtown, juried exhibition, San Rafael, Ca.2009
• Ripples, watermedia invitational, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, Ca., 2009
• Five Bay Area Painters: Robert Bechtle, Nathan Oliveria, Kay Russell, Mary Robertson, Sally
  Robertson, Bolinas Museum, Bolinas, Ca., 2009
• Women Artisits in Marin: Five Decades, invitational, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, Ca.. 2009
• Rain and Reflection, one person sabbatical exhibition, City College, San Francisco, Ca., 2008
• Marinscapes, juried exhibition, Escalle Winery, Larkspur, Ca., 2008, 2007
• Smallworks, juried exhibition, Art Works, San Rafael, Ca., 2008
• Fallkirk Annual, juried exhibition, Fallkirk Cultural Center, San Rafael, Ca., 2007
• Marin General Hospital, Atrium Gallery, one person show, Greenbrae, Ca., 2006.
• Ebb and Flow, Bay Area Model. Sausalito Art Commission , 2nd place,
  Sausalito, Ca., 2006.
• Marin County Exhibition, juried exhibition, Merit award , San Rafael, Ca. ,2006,2005, 2004.
• Diverse Connections. invitational exhibition, Artworks Downtown, San Rafael, Ca., 2006.
• Artists Dialog, invitational exhibition, City College of San Francisco, 2005.
• Watercolor Travels, invitational exhibition, San Rafael, Ca., 2004.
• Sight and Insight, invitational exhibition, Mill Valley, Ca., 2004.
• Art Works Downtown Gallery, juried show, San Rafael, Ca., 2004.
• San Rafael Corporate Center, one person show, San Rafael, Ca., 2003
• Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, 1st National Juried Show, Napa, Ca.,2003
• National Watercolor Association, juror and invited exhibitor, S.F., Ca., 2003
• Bon Appetite, Artisan’s Gallery, Mill Valley, 2002.
• Water Dragon Gallery, Invitational Gallery, Fairfax, Ca., 2002.
• Marin Society of Artists, invited exhibitor, Ross, Ca., 2002.
• Marin County Exhibition, Merit Award, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, Ca., 2002.
• Fallkirk Annual, juried exhibition, San Rafael, Ca., 2002
• The Salmon Lake Series, One Person Exhibition, China Basin Landing Bldg.Gallery,
  San Francisco, Ca., 2001.
• Sacred Images, Artisans Gallery, Mill Valley, Ca., 2001.
• Circle Gallery, Traveling Watercolor Exhibition, 2nd Place, Madera , Ca., 2001.
• One Person Exhibition, Gray Eagle Lodge, Blairsden, Ca., 2001.
• Annual Juried Exhibit of Marin Artists, Fallkirk Mansion , San Rafael, Ca., 2001.
• Marin County Exhibition, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, Ca., 2001.
• Triton Museum Statewide Watercolor Competition, Merit Award, Triton Museum of
  Art, Santa Clara, Ca., 2000.
• Crocker Kingsley 72nd Award Exhibition, Crocker Museum, Sacramento, Ca., 2000.
• Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts, sixth annual juried competition, 2nd Place,
  Circle Gallery, Madera, Ca., 2000.
• Marin County Exposition, Merit Award, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, Ca., 2000.
• Arizona Aqueous, juried exhibition, Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac, Arizona, 2000.
• Awakening to the Earth, invitational exhibition, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael,
  Ca., 2000.
• National Watercolor Society, annual juried exhibition, Brea, Ca., 1999.
• Eastern Washington Watercolor Society, juried annual, Merit Award, Richland,
  Washington, 1999.
• WASCO, Watercolor Artists of Sonoma County, juried exhibition, 2nd Place, Santa
  Rosa, Ca., 1999.
• The Last Banquet, Chinook, invitational exhibit, San Rafael, Ca., 1999.
• Marin County Fair and Exhibition, 2nd Place Watercolor, San Rafael, Ca., 1999.
• Six Bay Area Watercolorists, invitational exhibition, City Arts Gallery, City College,
  San Francisco, Ca., 1999.
• Watercolor Travels, invitational exhibition, Fort Mason Gallery, San Francisco, Ca. 1999.
• Marin Society of Artists, invited juror and exhibitor, Kentfield, Ca., 1999.
• A Woman’s Perspective, invited exhibitor, San Francisco Women’s Gallery,
  San Francisco, Ca., 1999.

Professional Activities

• Curator, “Watercolor Without Rules,” group exhibition, Metropolitan Transit Bldg., Oakland, CA
• Art Department and Fort Mason Campus Co-ordinator, City College of SF, 1999-2012.
• Tour leader/instructor, La Romita School of Art, Terni, Italy, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012.
• Tour leader/ instructor, Watercolor on island of Skopelos, Greece, 2010.
• Juror, San Francisco Women’s Artists, San Francisco, Ca., 2009-11-16
• Tour leader/instructor, painting and drawing workshop, France, 2008
• Instructor, West Dean College, Sussex, England, 2006
• Tour leader/instructor, Watercolor on island of Skopelos, Greece. 2005.
• Tour leader/ instructor, Watercolor on Whidbey Island, WA., USA, 2011
• Curator, “Watercolor Travels,” Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, Ca., 2004.
• Tour leader/ instructor, painting and drawing the Italian Rivera, Italy, 2003.
• Tour leader/ instructor, Watercolor and drawing in Greece, 2002.
• Instructor,Painting in the Sierras, Greyeagle, CA., 2000-2009.
• Tour leader/ instructor, Watercolor and drawing in Tahiti, Artrek, Inc. 2000.
• Fine Arts Coordinator, Art Dept., City College of San Francisco, 1999-2009.
• Works of Art, Committee Member, City College of San Francisco, 1998-2002.
• Tour leader/ instructor, Watercolor/ Sketchbook journals in Paris & Corsica, 1998.
• Curator-Diversity in Watercolor, Bay Model, Sausalito, Ca., 1998.
• Tour leader/instructor, Painting in Xilitla, Mexico (home of Edward James--artist/
  patron of the Surrealist Art Movement), 1997.
• Tour leader/ instructor, Drawing and Watercolor in Costa Rica, 1991.
• Attended College Art Association, 1995-2006.
• Exhibition judge- Marin County Exhibition, Marin Civic Center, 2005
  Marin Society of Artists, Ross, Ca., 1999, 2002,2006, 2009
  San Francisco Women’s Gallery, S. F., Ca.,1999,2002,2006, 2009
  National Watercolor Association, 2003.
  Marin County Fair, 1997.
  Artisans Gallery, Watercolor Annual, Mill Valley, Ca.,1997.
  California Watercolor Association, San Francisco, Ca., 1997.
  Livermore Art Association, Livermore, Ca., 1996.
• Board member, FORMA Foundation, For Mason Art Center, San Francisco, Ca.,
  1989-91.
• Vice-president, Faculty Association, Fort Mason Art Center, 1990-91.
• Equipment, Exhibition, and Advisory Committees, Fort Mason Art Center, 1989-91.
• Lecture and demonstration, painting techniques, The Palace of the Legion of
  Honor, San Francisco, Ca., 1989.

Publications

• Watercolor Magazine, feature article by Lynne Bahr.”Painting Moment by Moment: Kay
  Russell,” Fall 2009 issue
• Artweek, February 2006, review “Diverse Connections.”
• Marin Independent Journal, May 1999, “Marin Open Studio Highlights,”
  Phyllis Bragdon.
• Artweek, September, 1994, “About Nature,” Frank Cebulsk
• Marin Independent Journal, September, 1989, “ An Excellent Fallkirk Annual,” Phyllis Bragdon.
• The Taos Times, December 1985, “Vertex Show Succeeds,” Stephan Dunn.
• Artweek, July 1983, “ Geometry in Repetition,” Frank Cebulski.
• Artweek, July 1982, “Degrees of Restraint,” Judith Dunham.
• San Francisco Chronicle, July 1980,”Stand Outs Among New Artists,” Thomas Albright.