Bio

Abbeth Russell is a painter and performer based out of Portland, Maine. She regularly tours the country in her van, Shaq. At home and on the road she sells her art, hosts collaborative paintings on the street, juggles, and plays music with her band, The Bumbling Woohas. She is the co-founder of Hidden Ladder Collective, an art group that has been organizing interactive events and hosting weekly art nights since 2012. Abbeth is an art and juggling teacher and has spoken through TEDx and Pechakucha about her passion for making art more accessible.

Artist Statement

My surreal narratives are influenced by our world but exist in a place that lies closer to the spirit realm. The mythology of landscapes and the ancestors of characters rise to the surface. Painting connects me to the magic of my characters and their stories. Through them I gain a better understanding of my own reality. The worlds I create are born in sketchbooks and raised on wood panels, imbued with the life force of acrylic paint. I build up, sand down, and glaze over layer after layer. At some point in the process each painting transforms from an image into something that holds life. My finished paintings have souls.