Artwork in the Lobby
The Little Art is happy to display artwork from area artists. Art on display in the Little Art lobby is curated by Nancy Mellon. For questions, contact Nancy at nancymellon.jafa@gmail.com.
Currently on display
Artwork by Russ Shaw
Artist Bio
Russ Shaw grew up and spent most of his life in Yellow Springs, with stints in California, Florida and Plain City, Ohio. As a child he was introduced to nature by his father on their many walks in the woods. He currently lives on the family farm, where he enjoys the wildlife and beauty of the woods and fields. As a carpenter for 45 years, Russ has built or remodeled many homes in the area and made custom furniture and cabinets. Along with working with wood, music and composing songs are life-long passions and he has played in various local bands for decades. A self-taught artist and craftsman, Russ builds guitars and amplifiers and enjoys restoring vintage guitars and amps.
Over the years, Russ made special wooden pictures as gifts to family members. They would depict a special place once visited or a childhood scene. He even made an inlay of the family dog on a nightstand he built.
In 2011, he began creating 3-D wooden pictures depicting the natural scenes, especially birds that he sees around his home. He uses a scroll saw to cut the delicate features of his subjects. All of his "thinking inside the box" pictures are made from reclaimed, Ohio native wood. Many of the birds are shown in their natural setting. The frames are made from 100-year-old barn siding. In the spring of 2012 Russ held his first show at the Glen Helen Building’s Atrium Gallery in Yellow Springs.
The pictures for the Little Art Theatre are examples of his low relief wood images, such as owls, a woodpecker and a great blue heron.