Photography & Art

Russell Chatham (1939–2019) was an artist and author whose paintings and lithographs spoke to a singularly American sense of place. Over nearly six decades, his landscapes have been exhibited in more than four hundred one-man shows in museums and galleries. Chatham also wrote several books, including the short story collection Dark Waters, in which he chronicled hunting adventures with friends like Jim Harrison; Angler’s Coast, a cult classic; and numerous articles on fly-fishing, conservation, and the pleasures of food and wine.


Read Chatham’s “Advice for a Young Painter.”

And read Rick Bass’s personal essay about Chatham.

Ten Landscapes

by Russell Chatham

“If the world now is greedy, the artist must be generous. If there is war and hate, he must be peaceful and loving. If the world is insane, he must offer sanity, and if the world is becoming a void, he must fill it with his soul.” Russell Chatham’s life work embodies his credo. The most notable of contemporary Western landscape painters, Chatham has focused especially on rural Northern California and the wilds of Montana for his iconic works. A sportsman and angler with a love of the outdoors, Chatham also reveres good writing, and his friendships with poets and writers have resulted in his works gracing the book covers of authors such as Jim Harrison, Rick Bass, and Tom McGuane. Here we present a gallery of Chatham’s works reflecting the area around Bolinas and Tomales Bay, California.

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