Steve Russ

About the Artist:

Stephen Russ is a native Californian, born in Glendale in September of 1949 and residing in the mountains of Northern California since 1975.  After working as a bartender and enjoying the outdoors of Lake Tahoe, Steve moved to Weaverville, Trinity County, in 1980.  While working on the remake of the original 1880 Survey in the wilderness area of Trinity County, Steve gained a respect and appreciation for the manzanita plant.  In the mid 80s, Steve moved to Mount Shasta, making his living in real estate until 2010.  He currently still lives in the beautiful surroundings of Mount Shasta, devoting all his time to his art “Manzanita Works”.

Manzanita flourishes in altitudes between 2000 and 4500 feet.  After a forest fire or clear cutting it is the manzanita that first returns to the hillside, acting graciously to protect against soil erosion.  Manzanita will survive unaltered in its growth in temperatures raging from sub zero to 115 plus degrees.  Wind, snow, rain and freezing weather are a welcomed friend for this magnificent plant.  Its colors, leafs and unparalleled design of twisting branches give shelter and safety to many little four-legged critters and to birds alike.  During late spring and early summer, it becomes the main food source for the bears as well as a way for them to scratch and clean their coats, walking or running through the dense groves of manzanita.  For those skeptics who consider manzanita a nuisance, you may want to reconsider and give thanks to this wonder of nature that provides so much.  Considering the fact large manzanita branches can be cut without devastating effect to the plant,  there is no longer any need to destroy the evergreens for Christmas trees.  Manzanita fills the window and leaves plenty of room for presents.  The bug-resistant, hardwood manzanita is an excellent choice for decorative art at home or business.

A story from Steve:

“It was in the early 80s and I was working with a survey crew in the wilderness of the Trinity Mountains.  We needed to get back to where we left off the day before to continue our work relating to the original 1880 survey.  We were identifying section corners in ‘township 33 north, range 12 west, section 16′ off the Trinity River.  We needed to move through a southern-exposed hillside of dense manzanita ranging from 8 to 12 feet high.  When I entered the thick of the grove, temperatures were somewhere between 115 and 120 degrees and I was no longer walking upright.  I was crawling on my belly in order to get through the brush with my chain saw, gas can and a ‘C’ clamp used to cut the branches.  Tired, hot and thirsty, I stopped in a 4 foot by 6 foot clearing and immediately noticed bear scat under my leg.  At that moment, I started hearing sounds all around me which created my first and only encounter with claustrophobia.  I was sure the sounds were that of bears or mountain lions, but in reality it was only squirrels and birds.  I survived, still smiling thinking how I was the Art piece at that moment on display, and amusement, for the world of manzanita.”

Contact Steve Russ at 530.859.1532 or steveruss49@yahoo.com