Andy Russell

Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1945, Andy has always had a love of art and of creating imaginative lands of well-being. As a child, he often entertained the neighborhood children with his clay models of cities with unique architectural structures.

Finger painting in kindergarten was his first and last encounter with formal art training, and he still uses this technique today to smooth and blend paint. Andy's love of art and creativity was shared and encouraged by his aunt, a painter and architectural draftswoman. Even though he held jobs unrelated to art, such as steelworker, life insurance salesman, field investigator, car rental manager and electronic parts salesman, none of this could stifle the passion and desire Andy had to pursue his dream.

Around the age of thirty, after trying out various self-improvement techniques, Andy began having successive dreams of incredible lands of peace, beauty and tranquility, where you could skate across the landscape on pure air or rise into the sky to see the splendor below. There was magnificent, unique foliage and incredible architecture. He had many of these dreams, which inspired him to share them with the world through his art. It was from his dreams that he was able to develop his unique style.

Once his style was established, he began to blend his imagination and his experiences into it. He would see something and immediately transform it into his own original dreamscape style. The glazing technique, which consists of layering thin coats of color, proved to be the best way to achieve this soft-light effect. The colors seem to glow from within, which enhances the dreamlike quality. Andy began exhibiting and selling his work gradually at first.

Demand for his work grew to the point that in 1991 he took the leap to become a full-time artist and has not looked back since. Traveling became a pleasant way to discover new ideas and to sell his work. His palette broadens as he travels. He began painting the warm colors of Arizona's red rocks and the cool tropical colors of Maui's beaches.

Experiencing new places has helped him deepen his understanding of life - its harmony, its many ways of expressing beauty, its constant change and the miracle of the underlying energy.

Today, Andy is a member of the National Acrylic Painters Association (NAPA), headquartered in England, and a member of the Buffalo Society of Artists. His artwork is well represented.

Andy's work is constantly evolving while keeping its dreamlike quality. If asked what he thinks of his painting, he would answer: "My dreams have definitely become reality!"