Russ Tanner

Russ Tanner's art is of the land itself, a testament to its wide-open spaces, to the beauty of its high mountain majesty and of its hard, angular places. He has been inspired by the majesty of the Southwestern mountain ranges and the subtle beauty of the deserts. His love of nature and places of beauty are conveyed by his honest realism mixed with the softer subtleties of impressionism.

Russ’ choice of subject matter came as no surprise. As a young boy on excursions to the mountains with his Boy Scout troop, Russ would wander off from the rest of the group and stay mesmerized for hours on end by a view of a distant vista. He fell under the spell of the mountains and uncrowded country.

Russ' talents drew attention at an early age. After high school, he was awarded a full scholarship to the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Upon graduation, he moved to Kansas City, where he pursued a career as an illustrator for Hallmark Cards.

The recipient of a Merit Award from the Oil Painters of America National Show and voted a signature member of OPA, Russ has exhibited in numerous national and regional competitions.

“A Room with a View” was juried a Top 100 finalist for the  Art for the Parks Painting Competition and returned from touring the country for one year. The National Park Academy of the Arts puts on this competition to enhance public awareness of our National Parks.