Artist Biography Working with both classical and contemporary themes, Russ Bogdan paints commissioned portraits/figures, landscapes, murals and reproductions. His knowledge of classical design and drafting techniques derive from the study of Italian Renaissance art as well as Greek sculpture. The same work that influenced the Baroque and Neoclassical paintings of Rubens, Rembrant, and Velasquez. Their works, for him, represent the Golden Age of painting as they shared a common, aesthetic attitude in their looking back to antiquity. With many of there intellectual concepts virtually lost to us today, Bogdan continues his passionate reinvestigation of their art which was slowly deteriorated by the photo realism of the 19th Century. One of these concepts so fundamental to classical art, and highly misunderstood today, is “form drawing” and its association with figure sculpture which Bogdan has practiced extensively. The versatility of Bogdan’s techniques alone, set him apart from other artists. For his mural size canvases, he relies on his vast knowledge of old world techniques and craftsmanship to execute these larger works. He is able to skillfully combine both illusionistic and naturalistic techniques to create scenes that embody a unique blend of painterly qualities, dynamic design and deep, atmospheric perspective. His figure drawings are also appealing to collectors who appreciate the delicacy of smaller works. His landscape paintings draw further inspiration from some of the impressionists as well as George Inness. A sampling of current works for sale, including print reproductions, may be seen by visiting his online gallery at www.RussBogdan.com . American, born 1967 Education University of Maryland (B.A.) & East Carolina University, NC Schuler School of Fine Arts, Balt., MD & Smithsonian. Inst., Washington, DC Studied and worked in Italy. 2006-2007 Figure sculpture studies at Brad Parker’s studio, MD After taking his first painting class at the age of 11 Bogdan began his career as an architectural illustrator and then went on to study classical drawing and painting at the Schuler School and Smithsonian Institute. Proud of his Euro-American heritage and compelled by the grand, romantic art of the past, he moved to Europe for a year to study from the Old Masters firsthand. While maintaining a studio in Florence, he took on various commissions and worked on mural projects for John Angel, of the Florence Academy, and Senator Germana, of Rome. He has studied most of the great collections of Europe including: the Louvre, the Rijks, the Pinokothek, the Zwinger, the Kunsthistorisches, the Prado, the Uffizi, the Vatican, the National Galleries of Naples, London, Scotland, Dublin and Prague as well as the National Museums of Athens and Istanbul. He is currently studying figure sculpture and anatomy with neoclassical sculptor, Brad Parker. Mr. Bogdan has participated in various group exhibitions and has executed numerous commissions for galleries, designers and commercial film as well as for private collectors internationally, including the United States Capital. His work has been featured on the cover of International Artists Magazine as well as in various newspaper articles. He has illustrated several published books and has also given lectures on art history and technique. He has taught drawing classes through the Corcoran, the Washington Studio, the Schuler School and the Rockville Arts Place. He was also granted a scholarship to attend the annual conference for the Portrait Society of America.