Mildred Lena Russell
Mildred Lena Russell née Kindy (January 25, 1902 - May 28, 2001) was born in Niagara Falls, New York, and grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario. At a very young age, she developed a keen love of drawing and painting landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, in both watercolour and oil.
In 1924, Mildred graduated from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario with a BA in History. While a student at McMaster, Mildred met Maxwell Russell, a fellow student who was studying Mathematics. Shortly after graduation, the couple married and moved to Toronto, Ontario to begin their family and careers.
Max and Mildred spent every summer at their cottage on 14-acre Pancake Island in the Muskoka District, north of Toronto, Ontario. Though busy with a young growing family, and in somewhat rustic conditions, Mildred found the time and inspiration to sketch and paint the lovely and majestic landscapes of the Canadian wilderness, along with many portraits of family members and friends. Using oils, watercolours, and charcoal, she was able to dramatically capture on canvas the beauty and essence of the people, flowers, and scenery around her.
As Mildred's art catalogue grew, she began to sell by commission and, at times, gifted some of her work to close family and friends. One of her notable paintings was the portrait of her father-in-law, Professor John William Russell of Western University in London, Ontario. This portrait hung for many decades in the halls of Western University as a tribute and memorial to Professor Russell's many years of service.
Along with her busy life as a mother, homemaker, and artist, Mildred donated her time and talents to Child Evangelism Fellowship and Frank Wellington's Crusade for Children, by creating many flannelgraph boards depicting classic stories and characters of the Bible. Inspired by her deep love of History and her extensive study of the Bible, Mildred used her words and illustrations to write a fictional book called, "JEDlAEL and the City of Refuge",[1] It is the story of a young man named Jediael, who accidentally kills his young companion and then must flee to an Israelite city of refuge, as described in the Old Testament book of Joshua. In this project, Mildred used her words and illustrations to create a literary picture of a dramatic accidental death and the aftermath that ensued.
Through the years, Max and Mildred began to travel extensively all over North America. Inspired by the beauty of the places they were visiting, Mildred sketched and painted vastly contrasting landscapes and scenes, recording and manifesting in oil and watercolour the beautiful and rugged terrain of the USA and Canada.
In the 1970s, Mildred was invited to show and sell her paintings at Gibson Gallery in Toronto Ontario[2][3], and also at Iverarden Gallery in Cornwall Ontario.[4] She had great success and sold many of her works. Mildred's paintings will be enjoyed and cherished for many years to come, and her contribution to the Canadian Art world is immeasurable.
References
- ↑ Russell, Mildred (Copyright 1983 ISBN NO. 0-9691336-0-X). Jedial and the City of Refuge. M.K. Russell] ; Elgin, Ont. ISBN 096913360X. Check date values in:
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- ↑ Russell, Mildred, Lena (24 March 1976). "Art Show and Sale for Mildred Russell Art 24 Mar 1976". Newspapers.com - The North York Mirror - 24 Mar 1976 - 21. p. 21. Retrieved 24 March 1976. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ Russell, Mildred, Lena (25 April 1976). "Gibson House show of Mildred Russell Art. April 25, 1976". Newspapers.com - The Toronto Star - 29 Mar 1976 - 5. p. 5. Retrieved 29 March 1976. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ Russell, Mildred Lena (24 March 1976). "Art Show and Sale for Mildred Russell Art 24 Mar 1976". Newspapers.com - The North York Mirror - 24 Mar 1976 - 21. Retrieved Newspapers.com - The North York Mirror - 24 Mar 1976 - 21. Check date values in:
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