The town of Rockport lies on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, near Aransas Bay. Mostly known as a sleepy coastal town, it is also home to the Rockport Art Colony, which for over seventy years has contributed significantly to the Texas arts scene. The painter and naturalist Steve Russell has been a major contributor to the Rockport art colony and lives there to this day. His shimmering painting, Mid Coast Shrimpers (2023), presents that swath of land near Aransas Bay that delights environmentalists, bird watchers, and fishermen. Across the midline of the canvas, between blue sky and green waters, lies a group of docked shrimping boats, basking in the setting sun and surrounded by seagulls. The painting is made from quick impressionistic strokes intermixed with intricate details that give a quiet charm to the overall scene. Its gleaming highlights on the waters, and streaming sunrays fill the painting with sun and sky. The sea gulls are mid-flight and we can almost hear and smell the coastal atmosphere. Russell is at his best recreating the material textures of such coastal elements as gritty sand, fluffy clouds, coarse grasses, rusty boats, and flowing waters. Known as a wildlife artist and seascape specialist, Russell has spent most of his life in the Corpus Christi area and is keen to promote all Texas landscapes, especially the coasts where he was raised. The artist remarks, “My entire existence in Rockport has revolved around painting. It can be said that I paint to live and I live to paint. I have been fortunate enough to follow that path.” Some of Russell’s newer works include a unique mix of abstracted paintings that include blotches of bright swirling colors that still maintain a link to his coastal origins.   

Russell was born in 1946 in Rockport, Texas. He grew up around the waterfront, sailing and fishing with his family. He studied art at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. Fittingly, the artist served in the Navy and later the Marine Corps during the Vietnam war. While stationed in San Diego he worked with other artists, mainly watercolorists, and he was able to hone his skills. After returning to the United States, he went to live near Tijuana, Mexico where he painted with his good friend Jose Gomez. Eventually he returned to Rockport to study with William Brigl, the man who became his mentor. Russell continues to live and work in Rockport, as is an active member of the local art community.