Saskatchewan Artist

Jamie Russell

Jamie Russell was born in Three Hills, Alberta in 1949. His interest in working with wood began when he was a child. Russell studied cabinet making and served as an apprentice to Stuart Welch and to Art Carpenter in California in 1984. Russell later studied cabinet making and millwork in Saskatoon at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST, 1972).

First interested in the functional aspects of wood, Russell later began to explore sculptural form. He creates functional furniture pieces, including those with simple, clean lines and others that incorporate animal imagery. Occasionally, Russell creates other more abstract pieces. He has exhibited in the United States and Canada; in 2009, Saskatoon's Mendel Art Gallery was the site of a solo exhibition of his work, "Meditations on Nature." Collections in which his work can be found include those of the Center for Art in Wood (Philadelphia) and the Saskatchewan Arts Board.

Russell has won several awards, including "Best in Show Open Sculpture" at seven shows of the Wildlife Art Association. His work has been featured in numerous magazines, including Woodwork and Western People.

Russell has delivered and coordinated workshops in the United States and western Canada, including at Emma Lake, Saskatchewan. In 2003, he was the International Turning Exchange Furniture Fellow at the Woodturning Centre in Philadelphia.

Jamie Russell is a member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council. He lives in Saskatoon.