Collection: Russ Ball

“I paint in acrylic, oil, and egg tempera on canvas and prepared panels. Each media has aesthetic qualities of its own and the style and subject of the painting determines the media I choose.”  — Russ Ball

Upon his release from the Army, Russ Ball moved to New Mexico and became enhanced with the qualities of the landscape, painting watercolors of the boulders, light, and color of the Tijeras Canyon east of Albuquerque.

In 1977 Russ spent three years touring Europe and, while in Greece, working with the staff and students of the Art Academy of Athens. This European experience influences the lyrical and symbolic qualities of his artwork to this day. Russ holds a BFA degree in art from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and took graduate courses in painting and printmaking at the University of New Mexico. 

Russ allows the subject matter to drive the media he uses in each of his paintings. When working on larger canvasses he prefers to use fast-drying Acrylic which allows layering and texturing. Oil paint, which takes longer to dry and has a creamer appearance, requires drying time between glazing. Egg tempera, an ancient medium using egg yellow and water mixed with pigment, requires a series of translucent glazes to build up color. Though tedious, when done properly it allows for beautiful skin tones and wonderful detail. Egg tempera has a lovely waxy surface and never yellows over time.

Known for his iconic “Horsewomen” riding the range, he also creates large and surreal acrylic and oil paintings of harlequins on tightropes. His paintings have been shown in galleries throughout the Southwest. Living in working in Albuquerque, he was honored to paint the official poster of the 2006 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta