As a kid, I had the good fortune to experience all the four seasons in depth. I grew up on the outskirts of Hopkins, Minnesota. My backyard was a marsh overlooked by a big wooded hill. As much as possible, I spent all day outdoors: hunting turtles, fishing, playing baseball, bicycling, playing ice hockey, pulling pranks, and creating and enjoying long sled runs with dicey corners. When not outdoors, I spent my time building projects and listening to music. I built everything from elaborate turtle mazes to model airplanes and boats to tree houses. These experiences gave me a love for rural life and nature that would surface years later in paintings.

After a stint in the U.S. Army, I went to San Diego City College in California, and received degrees in Fine Art and Commercial Art. While there, I produced numerous frog portraits, collages, murals, and large art environments.

But Minnesota called to me. In 1976 I moved back to Minnesota, got married, and started raising three sons. My creative urge and fishing combined to produce Lakemaps, the first graphics design business in Minnesota creating usable contour maps of fishing lakes.

Twenty-two years and 3,000 maps later, I needed a change. I sold my business and returned full-time to my passion of painting.

I create art with the color and feel of fun. My range of subjects is broad – animals, people, vegetables, flowers, houses, and landscapes. I give my whimsy full license and specialize in watercolor and acrylic paintings with unusually vivid and novel color combinations.

The result is an intensity that captivates and speaks directly to the viewer,

Enjoy the color and feel of fun!
Russel J. Dittmar