For Issue 04: Double Life, we invited contributors to explore the tensions, contradictions, and balancing acts that shape both creative work and everyday life. Scituate-based artist Kelly Russo navigates these themes through layered abstract paintings that move between control and freedom, revelation and concealment, and the beautifully messy experience of being both an artist and a parent.

Playhouse, Acrylic on wood, as part of part of the “Art Off the Wall” night at the South Shore Art Center fundraiser.

APM: How does your work speak to Double Life? What made this Call to Art feel like the right home for your work?

KR: My work balances thoughtful composition and color with freedom, walking the tightrope of control and play, capturing layers of thought and emotion. While developing a piece, working in layers, the idea of revealing and concealing what is important. This acts as a metaphor in our daily life as we all decide what we put on the surface and what we hide.

Painting is a vehicle for translating both joys and trials of life as a mom and artist who is trying to navigate an intimate family life while living in a complicated world. Finding balance, learning, exploring and being flexible as both a parent and an artist. This all contributes to the idea of double life. (Also a proud Gemini 😉)

APM: Your work often feels like it exists between structure and spontaneity. How do you know when to let go of control and allow a painting to lead?

KR: That’s the goal the whole time! It can sometimes be a struggle when you get stuck in your head and nothing seems to make sense on the surface, another metaphor, but then when you figure it out, you just got to embrace that flow.

I feel like I start strong, almost manic, covering large areas and playing with color and tones; sometimes it will just feel right all the way through, and then it’s finished…

Sometimes I get caught and fight every second, have to walk away and come back. Sometimes I’ll completely stop and move on to something new. And then come back. I always have multiple paintings happening.

Kelly stands before her easel in her Scituate studio, a space filled with works in progress, sketches, photographs, painting studies, and a well-used palette that chronicles the journey from idea to finished piece.

APM: What do you want readers to know about your process?

Even though my work is abstract, without having a strong foundation of composition from working on still life’s, landscapes and figures, the process would be difficult. I remember wanting to paint abstractly just because those were the paintings I was most drawn to. But the first ones were a mess. My first intense painting studio class at Massart was with Paul Celli and he was just amazing. I think most of us were annoyed at first because we were restricted to using oil paint and only using the colors Payne’s gray, yellow ochre and white…and we worked on these big geometric like still life’s and had to paint on board…we did these for weeks, and by using such a limited pallet and subject matter, you still wanted to make an interesting painting. I learned a lot from that process that I still carry with me. All the hard things were right in front of you. The color mixing is the easiest part for me, it’s the most natural. Creating an abstract painting that has depth, movement, and keeps the viewer engaged needs more than a good color story, though and I think from working endlessly on traditional painting subjects and compositions really informed how I compose an abstract painting. You can have all the right ingredients, but if you can’t put them together in a thoughtful composed way, you can still create a lousy piece.

My color instincts are strong, as is my sense of whether a piece is finished or not. That plays a big role in creating abstract art.

Messy and fun and chaos and structure.

The process has definitely been built upon over the years, going back and forth between observational painting from life and abstraction.

Still life painting 20x20 acrylic on canvas. Contact via: kelly@kellyrussoart.com

*Pine Grove* (30 × 30, acrylic on wood), shown in the 2024 MassArt Alumni Exhibition at the SoWa Gallery in Boston.

The work captures moments in time that are not static, they are fluid and active.

There are a variety of bold and subtle shapes that take on personalities and emotions, appearing in the work and having conversations with each other. I love the idea of a conversation between shape, space and color. Sometimes they listen, sometimes I have to struggle through.

APM: Summer is arriving as this issue reaches readers. Does the change of season influence your creative practice? Does summer bring a different energy, rhythm, or way of working into the studio?

KR: It’s definitely Nice to paint outside, the real light changes a lot. Lots of watercolor, sketchbooks, taking lots of photos.

I’ve found that when I really started to dive full-time back into painting, my kids were in a sweet spot of school, then summer camps, and they were all at the same place at the same time. They are all close, very close in age. I really cranked out a lot of work. Now that they are older, they are all doing different things and so that means the schedule is a lot more hectic. So getting paint to the surface has been a little less than I like, but I also have had some great opportunities, such as having a few solo and group shows and being a part of Artypants!

I just had a gallery come pick up 10 large pieces, and they are being shipped to a gallery in Santa Fe just this week.

I couldn’t have imagined that happening a few years ago when my kids were all so little! So getting to work whenever I have a chance in between all the family things is a challenge, but the work is still being created, and sometimes it comes in the form of not just painting in the studio, but sketching, writing, going to shows, and connecting with other artists and art lovers!

APM: What materials do you work with?

KR: Often using acrylic on wood panel. The wood allows me to experiment with other material aside from paint such as charcoal, paint pens, wax and other mark making materials that i have on hand.

Kelly stands alongside two of her paintings featured in *Artists Lane*, a Copley Society of Art exhibition at the The Langham, Boston, on view from November 2024 through March 2025.

APM: What role does experimentation play in your practice? Are there materials, techniques, or ideas you're currently exploring?

APM: Inspiration comes from many places. Are there artists, musicians, writers, or everyday experiences that consistently influence your work?

KR: Looking at and reading about art is my biggest influence for sure. Watching any Art 21 episode. That series has a goldmine of inspiration on why and how we need to make art.

Seeing the world through others' eyes through their art has a big influence. I love listening to other artists do their process, and just always looking.

I went to art school right after high school and took advantage of any kind of trip through there. I worked and saved money and tried to travel in the summer and in between breaks to see art through Massart and Museum school programs with art historians and other artists, and that was priceless. Being able to see a Titian painting with a Titian art historian, going to visit artists’ studios in Cuba surrounded by other artists and art students, going to the Prado and seeing The Garden of Earthly Delights in person, are all so inspiring. Not to mention all the wonderful art in Boston, including the art at the Harvard museums. Always love visiting the Max Beckmans there, an early favorite.

Some of my favorite shows I have been lucky enough to see are:

Alice Neal at the Met, Philip Guston, Amy Sillman at the ICA. They have all stuck with me.
Seeing Helen Frankenthaler in person, Lisa Yuskavage, Frida Kahlo, Sheila Hicks, Elizabeth Murray, Bisa Butler, and Beatrice Milahze, all of these artists have all been inspirational. Color, shape, form, and the meaning behind the work.

Coming face-to-face with a painting you saw in a book as a kid, the experience is different. We didn’t have internet access, and I remember looking at art in encyclopedias or in any random art books I had at my house. And then to get to a place where I could go see these pieces in person and beyond was a big part of my college experience and beyond.

I have also been extremely inspired by the artists that I have met over the past few years who are making art their priority or putting it out there in our next chapter. They have all been so inspirational, even being at the closing for the Artypants show at the Frame Center in Hanover, and witnessing the connections that have been made and continue to be made is so fun to be a part of.

It's never too late to follow what you want

🖌️

It's never too late to follow what you want 🖌️

It's never too late to follow what you want, and even better to surround yourself with like-minded people who are doing great work, often many of them also raising a family.

Left: Kelly with her husband, Adam, their four children, and a beloved Labubu at the opening of her solo exhibition at True Grit Gallery in Middleborough, Massachusetts, last year.
Right: Two of Kelly's children in front of her artwork at Earthquake Picnic, a MassArt Alumni exhibition held at the SoWa Gallery in Boston in 2023.

APM: What tends to spark a new painting—the color, a feeling, a shape, a memory, or something else entirely?

KR: Often seeing art at a gallery or show, but also just needing a space to reset and reflect. It is still work to paint. I feel a need to create, and painting is definitely the medium I enjoy the most. But it doesn’t always feel easy, there is a dialogue about what is happening on the surface. Doubts, trying to fix something, having a piece just not work, can be frustrating, but it’s part of the process.

APM: Are you a morning painter, afternoon painter, or late-night painter?

KR: all of the above, sometimes depending on a deadline!

APM: One art supply you can't live without?

KR: fresh tube of titanium white

APM: Favorite color lately?

KR: creamy orange/yellow

APM: A place in New England that continually inspires you?

KR: You can’t beat being up on top of a mountain in Vermont when the trees are so short up top and covered in snow with a bright blue sky… Or any beach around here at sunset.

For me, it’s all about the light and atmosphere that is always inspiring.

APM: What's something people might be surprised to learn about you?

KR: Well, my kids are always always still surprised when I do anything athletic…and am good at it! It’s now a running joke…

My kids are good athletes and also really into theater. I’m faking my way into being a theater mom and a sports mom;) Double life??? Triple life?!?

Summer Studio Listening with Kelly Russo

In studio, Kelly is always listening to podcasts, artist talks, and audiobooks while she paints. We asked her to share a few favorites for fellow artists and art lovers.

The Great Women Artists Podcast

Hosted by Katy Hessel

Kelly recommends the episode featuring Michaela Yearwood-Dan.

"There is a lot of figurative contemporary painting that is getting a lot of attention, and her story and paintings really speak to me. Katy's podcast is a fantastic listen."

Miranda July + Art21

Kelly highly recommends pairing Miranda July's bestselling novel All Fours with her Art21 feature.

"She had mainstream success with her book All Fours, a must-read especially for women in midlife, artist or not. Watching her Art21 episode is a must, in tandem with her book, especially the part where she creates a whole piece based on a random phone call from a telemarketer in India. I mean, who can't relate? She's incredible.

Art21 has so many different genres, but the humanity of these artists and the stories they tell are something all folks everywhere should listen to, especially at this point in our history. These human, fresh, intimate perspectives are so vital."

Art21: Borderlands

Another Kelly favorite is Borderlands.

"Made in 2020, it hits close to our family and country and is so well done. There is no better perspective on the world than an artist's perspective." Give it a watch!

Katy Hessel + Helen Molesworth Podcasts

Kelly recommends podcasts Death of an Artist and Dialogues. Season 1 features Ana Mendieta and Carl Andre. Season 2 features Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner.

Also check out: Dialogues by David Zwirner here.

Steve Locke

"Google ‘Steve Locke’ and listen to any interview or artist talk with him. He is amazing to listen to, no matter what he is talking about…He's also a former MassArt professor of mine. I could listen to him show slides and talk about art anytime."

Guston, Whiteness, and the Unfinished Business of the Vile World by Steve Locke

Find Kelly Russo

Instagram and kellyrussoart.com

Kelly lives and works as an artist in Scituate, Massachusetts. She received her BFA and Master’s in Art Education from Massachusetts College of Art. She is a Gallery Artist at The South Shore Art Center in Cohasset, a Juried Artist Member at The Copley Society of Art in Boston, an Artist Member of the Cambridge Art Association, and a Signature Member of the National Association of Women Artists, National and Massachusetts chapters, she has work at the True Grit Gallery in Middleboro, Ma, Copley Society in Boston and recently has work heading to the San Francisco Street Gallery in Santa Fe, NM.

Issue 04: Double Life explores the visible and invisible forces that shape our lives and creative practices. Kelly Russo's work reminds us that balance is rarely static. It is a continuous act of revealing, concealing, adjusting, and trusting the process.

A Beautiful Mess: A conversation with Kelly Russo