Born in Poet’s Corner, Isle of Wight, England, at age five I packed sketching materials into a wheelbarrow and moved to London, Ontario, Canada, won first prize for lettering at London Hobby Fair, moved to Bournemouth, England and tried unsuccessfully to enter an embroidery piece in a school fair, was told it would have won first prize if I’d been a girl, burned Guy Fawkes, played eye spy, moved to Edmonton Alberta, where I took painting courses at the Art Gallery, made marionettes and a puppet theatre, became leader of the Antelope Patrol and Troop Leader in Scouts, won an Artist badge, Bushman’s Thong, and Queen’s Scout award, climbed mountains with Alpine Club and learned to spin a lariat.
Graduated in Architecture from University of Manitoba, won Thesis Report First Prize and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill prize for structural analysis, took courses at San Francisco School of Art, met John Cage, heard Jefferson Airplane at the Matrix, made experimental films, marched in tear gas with Country Joe and the Fish, worked on a Swedish freighter, returned to Winnipeg, and contributed with Michael Tims (AA Bronson of General Idea), to The Magazine and The Loving Couch Press. Recorded in NFB film ‘The Summer of ’67’ being thrown into a paddy wagon in Yorkville, joined van Ginkel Associates in Montreal as planner in charge of Midtown Manhattan movement study, Canadian Airports planning study, Canadian Arctic Gas and Beaufort Sea drilling socio-economic impact studies and others.With B. James Wensley & Associates, was designer and project architect for Edmonton Convention Centre.
Received Canada Council Arts grant for AtLast, a survey of perception of environment. Met Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, attended Rocky Mountain Dharma Centre Buddhist seminary, sang William Blake’s ‘Nurses Song’ with Allen Ginsberg on the side of a sacred mountain, worked in Toronto with Associated Planning and Mekinda Snyder on architectural design for the elderly including the Sisters of Mercy in St. John’s, took courses at Toronto School of Art and University of Toronto, had shows at Annex Art Centre and Karme Chöling in Vermont. Co-founder and co-owner, with textile artist Sheree Rasmussen, of Inside and Out Garden Design in Toronto, winner of 17 Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence, won Best in Show and Mixed Media awards at Spirit of the Hills shows in Northumberland County, Ontario, and a 2013 Civic Award for Heritage Awareness, contributed to numerous community art projects in Northumberland, co-founder and Creative Director of Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre in Warkworth, Ontario.
My artworks are inspired by a deep appreciation of the mystery and spirit of place, the evidence in natural and built form of energy and movement, history and possibility, the world as it is and as it is becoming, of inter-relatedness, community, and the humour of unexpected juxtaposition. In each place, whether built, cultivated, or wild, there is an inherent wisdom and life. Our sense gates need only be opened a moment to be astonished by the vastness and power, tenderness and fragility of the world and our mirror-like identity with it. Each of my paintings or constructions is a memory-trace of those moments.
Contact Clive at info@cliverussell.com