Darshan Russell

Beach (Naive Artist paints Family at the Beach in Cubist Style)

2002

Darshan Russell is a self-taught Hudson Valley artist and has been exhibiting her work in many locations about the region. The colors and feeling of her compositions are greatly influenced by Matisse, but Russell’s inspiration comes directly from life and the simple scenes that surround her in Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Hudson and other Hudson River towns where she paints. Occasionally, Russell will paint cities that she has traveled to like New York, Baltimore, Portland and Paris, but the bulk of her work documents local scenes and local people. The photographs accompanying articles in the Poughkeepsie Journal or The New York Times inspire much of her figurative work. Portraits of Madeleine Albright and Mayor Dinkins are part of her repertoire as well the less notorious individuals. Russell’s paintings have a unique look that can be attributed to her practice of daily painting and years of dedication to develop a style all her own. Russell is as interested in landscapes as figures and city scenes. Her work has become well collected with the increased appreciation in folk art and naïve work.