Russ Havard

Saguaro 15

Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --RUSS HAVARD Artist Statement I'm drawn towards nature imagery that depicts isolated elements in their continual struggle to flourish ...

Represented by George Billis Gallery, NYC & LA --RUSS HAVARD Artist Statement I'm drawn towards nature imagery that depicts isolated elements in their continual struggle to flourish ...

"Cactus", by Christina Haglid, is a painstakingly detailed watercolor of a Saguaro Cactus on panel. Each needle from the cactus is evident in this small scale painting. The background gives the idea that is a scene from a solarium with its blurred window panes. The piece is floated within a white wood frame and measures 4.75h x 3.75w inches. Christina Haglid Cactus watercolor and gouache on panel 4h x 3w in 10.16h x 7.62w cm Tiny Sanctuaries There has always been an intersection between the process of writing and the act of painting in my work. It has somehow been my guide. In the last four years, during the making of this work, that connection intensified as I started writing short stories and flash fiction while taking online classes. I find the process of writing and painting so different in almost every way, but there is something freeing and generative in writing which helps my painting process. Or perhaps it's a reminder of what painting is for me - something intuitive that needs to be trusted. And what they do have in common is a desire to encapsulate and distill a single moment, a story, about the complexity of our emotions and experiences. At the heart of my work is the recurring depiction of perseverance, strength of will, and a subtle optimism. Symbolically through the objects, precarious situations depict a moment of possible difficulty, often involving the influence of nature. A paper crane left in the snow. A boat nearly filled to the brim, but not submerged and able to drain its own contents carefully. A slide alone at night...

Mid Century Desert Cactus Sunset Landscape by Russell Dale Moffett Experience the splendor of the desert at sunset in this stunning mid century landscape by Russell Dale Moffett (American, 1899-1984). This striking 1959 landscape features tall cacti casting long shadows as they are bathed in warm light by an orb of golden sun. As the sky lights up in a burst of color, the desert sands are illuminated in a beautiful warm glow. Russell Dale Moffett's impressive attention to detail and realistic style leave a lasting impression on the viewer. Signed "Russell Dale Moffett" lower right. Presented in a giltwood frame. Canvas size: 24"H x 30"L. Framed size: 37"H x 31"W x 2"D. Regarded as a quintessential outsider artist, Russell Dale Moffett’s work has begun to attract collectors’ serious attention. Born in Indiana, by 1942 he had settled in San Diego and was a muralist. A large proportion of his output was created to decorate the bars and dives of those honky-tonk neighborhoods in downtown San Diego that catered to the soldiers and sailors that passed through in the boom war years when it was a liberty town. Much of his work must have been lost to gentrification and urban renewal. Some of it is just now coming to light. One of eight lost Hawaiian Surfer...