Russell Chatham
Russell Chatham’s perfectionist nature is evidenced in his landscape paintings. Sometimes taking as long as a year to complete, Chatham does not consider a painting “finished” until he determines it is so. Working from memory his landscape paintings contain an inimitable poetic quality.Chatham often begins a painting with words- descriptions of the light, the weather, the atmosphere- recording more of a sense of place. He carries this as a memory and experience back to studio which he proceeds to suggest and convey through paint. He is also regarded as one of the foremost lithographers in the world with his lithographs taking up to 50 separate plates.
Chatham’s early upbringing in what were then the wild hills and country around the family ranch in Carmel and later in Marin County, California had a direct influence on Chatham’s future. The grandson of renown painter, Gottardo Piazzoni, Chatham was seldom without paints, easel and fishing rod. With the love of outdoors, Chatham was drawn to the mountains surrounding Livingston, Montana where he spent several decades.
In addition to his painting, Russell owned and operated his own printing company, Clark City Press, wanting to have the control of designing, manufacturing and doing a first rate job not only for his own books, but also new and promising authors. A self- taught writer, as well, Chatham’s articles stories and essays have appeared in Esquire, The Atlantic, Sports illustrated, Outside and dozens of other publications. His books include The Angler’s Coast, Silent Seasons, Dark Waters, Striped Bass on the Fly The Missouri Headwaters and One Hundred Paintings.
During that time, Chatham showed his culinary expertise by opening a restaurant because he wanted to have fine dining available in desolate Livingston, MT.
To say that Chatham is an avid sportsman is an understatement. He has been around the world 20 times, held an impressive fly fishing record for 20 years, hunted deer in the New Zealand Alps, eaten puffin in Iceland and reindeer in the Russian arctic and camped among the last of indigenous tribes in Tierra del Fuego.
Chatham has been profiled in Esquire, Southwest Art, People, U.S. Art, Antiques and Fine Art, Architectural Digest, The Denver Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The San Francisco Examiner, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Seattle Times, The Associated Press, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, and Fresh Air, PBS, and CBS Sunday Morning.
While Russell’s major accomplishments, adventures and stories are almost endless, his landscape paintings are what he is known for and it’s no surprise. Since he began formally showing his work in 1958, Chatham has had a multitude of one man shows at museums, art centers and galleries.
It is understandable that the extensive list of personal collectors are notable names revered in American culture for their own creative contributions, including authors, media correspondents and entertainment personalities.