Russell is a visual artist who's work engages astronomy, landscape, mapping, surfing, coastal studies, along with an idiosyncratic commentary on the natural and manmade worlds. He obsessively and enthusiastically documents the night sky and celestial phenomenon within his practice.

 

His work has been extensively exhibited nationally and internationally and is owned by private collectors, major museums and public collections. He is a 2015 Guggenheim Fellow.

 

As a serious amateur astronomer, Russell has studied the night sky for decades, utilizing his own array of telescopes with occasional sojourns to professional observatories. He is able to manually locate deep sky objects without the aid of a "go-to" mount.

 

In 2015-2016, he engaged in a collaborative residency co-organized by the Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) at UC Santa Cruz, the UC Lick Observatory, Theoretical Astrophysics Santa Cruz (TASC), culminating in a solo exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art San José.  Russell Crotty IAS/UCSC Residency  He has made important observational contributions to accredited astronomy organizations such as NASA and ALPO (Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers). 

Laura is a graphic designer with many years of experience in a wide variety of media – web design, branding, corporate identity, book design, print collateral, packaging, consumer products, and advertising. She is the tech-savvy one so she operates our computerized Celestron "go-to" telescope.

​

Laura also functions as Studio Manager for Russell's art business, coordinating with galleries, museums and other art venues. This awareness of the art world gives her valuable insight as she specializes in designing websites and keeping the archives for a number of visual artists. 

 

Laura particularly cherishes working for local businesses and commits a fair amount of time to local volunteer efforts. She and her two dogs provide pet therapy through the Ojai  "Love on  a Leash" program plus she donates her design skills towards the effort to build Meiners Oaks Park in Ojai.

​