As a painter and as a person, G. Russell Case is one of a kind, always
possessing a unique approach. Whether he is hiking in the Wasatch Mountains
above his Brigham City, Utah home or throwing the perfect fly cast on the Green
River, Case is a leader. As a painter Case’s most important mentor is
Robert Henri, who inspired him to develop his own approach, a lesson few
artists observe. His art contains the simplicity that all great painters seek;
his interpretations reflect the artistic vision distilled through keen
observation of the great painters that came before. His subjects are current
observations from travels throughout the west. He paints directly from nature
to record color and light. His studio compositions are derivations of thoughts
recorded outdoors. Truly, The Art Spirit can be found in the paintings of G.
Russell Case.
Expressing his own attitude toward subject matter, Case has made it clear that there
is no value to be placed on literal translations of nature. His general scope
is not realistic; rather his tendencies strive toward idealization. Thomas
Moran was one of the first to declare this thesis when asked about using
photography for subject matter. He said, "Of course, all art must come
through nature or naturalism, but I believe that a place, as a place, has no
value in itself for the artist only so far as it furnishes the material from
which to construct a picture." More than anything, this is the philosophy
of Case as he seeks subjects in the enchanting southwestern country, flooded
with color and grandeur, where pictorial interpretations await only artists
with natural skills and original thoughts. The Grand Canyon was there before
Moran; the clouds were there before Dixon. California hills were there before
Wendt and Redmond; Utah cottonwoods and Mormon farmhouses were there before
Stewart. Russell has also discovered these subjects.
A graduate of Snow College and Utah State University, Case studied with Osral
Allred, Carl Purcell, Harrison Groutage and Gaell Lindstrom. He is one of the
few Utah experts in the philosophy of Robert Henri. He has had numerous one-man
shows and won many awards for his works including Best of Show at the Phippen
Museum, Best Small Oil at Maynard Dixon Country 2001 and Best of Show at
Maynard Dixon Country 2003.