Russells For Men

John Banovich's art is big and powerful, as are his subjects. Spending months each year in the world's wildest places, he sets out to capture the excitement and drama of our natural world.

"This print depicts a giraffe bent in an awkward position with its feet spread apart and head down drinking from a pool of water.

"I have always been inspired by the drama of the Cape buffalo. During a journey to the western corridor of the Serengeti, I witnessed this massive herd perfectly poised under a large acacia tree filled with Buffalo Weavers nests. John Banovich

A trip down Slippery Rocks Falls is a trecherous endeavor, but provides cover for an unannounced ambush and an escape route with no trail. Doug Hall's has captured this moment in time in his painting Slippery Rocks Falls.

Straight as an Arrow shows two warriors sitting under an outcropping of rock making arrows. They are probably Cherokee who at one time occupied about 40,000 square miles of the southern Appalachian Mountains in eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina and northern Georgia and Alabama.

"The setting is Lake Makat in NgoroNgoro crater. This soda lake attracts thousands of flamingos and the fresh water inlets attract herds of wildebeest and zebra making for a very popular drinking area.

This mother polar bear has been lucky enough to rear three cubs into their second year and by now has taught them the things needed to survive in such an extreme environment. Her vigilance knows no limit when protecting her young.

Minnesota wildlife artist David Maass believes that the background in his paintings is as significant as the wildlife itself.

With acrylics and oils, John Banovich creates memorable scenes from the dramas that play themselves out daily in the natural world just as they have for millions of years.

John Banovich's latest tribute to the great cats of Africa focuses on the newly adult male, instead of the cute cubs or the majestic "King"of the pride.

"Emerging from the dusk, this old bull elephant has seen the best and worst that Africa has to offer.

The fine art of the wildlife prints by great modern artists have been very successful in our Russell's for Men™ catalogs from the very beginning. John Banovich is one of the finest of these artists.

Hunting Dall Sheep is an extreme sport. They inhabit the sub-artic mountain ranges of Alaska, the Yukon Territory, the Mackenzie mountains in the western Northwest Territories and Northern British Columbia.

As a boy who could not afford .22 cartridges, I did well enough with a slingshot. Not the real sling of David's fame but a forked stick with two strips of inner tube and a leather pouch. I was death on cottontails and head-over-heels on the very rare occasion when I got a squirrel, but I was a total loss on quail.

As a youngster, Scott Storm discovered his talent for drawing, sketching and design. In 1987, as a self-taught artist, he entered the Minnesota Duck Stamp contest and placed second. Encouraged by the acceptance of his initial work, he continued to enter stamp contests and enjoyed his first top award by winning the Indiana Pheasant Stamp competition in 1991. In 1999, he gave up his career in architecture and devotes himself full-time to painting.

Michael Sieve is an avid sportsman and recognized wildlife and big game artist. His paintings are inspired by actual experiences in the field and developed through extensive research on the natural history of the area and the species, using both photographs and specimens where possible.

"This is a painting of a real deer that lived near my house for five years. I spent many hours thinking about, planning and hunting this deer before he died late last fall. He is the largest buck, and possibly the oldest buck, I have seen near my home in Southeast Minnesota in 20 years, and is a good indicator of what the bucks in that area would look like if they could live as long as this buck did." - Michael Sieve

It is always a pleasure to see a new series of wildlife prints from John Banovich. His work is fantastic. We have hung a very large Giclée Canvas print of his "Big Ivory" in our reception area and it is the topic of conversation for every new visitor.

The Amur Tiger, also known as the Siberian Tiger, is a rare sub-species of the Tiger and is the largest natural animal in the feline family, males may weigh up to eight hundred pounds. It is critically endangered and is largely confined to the Amur-Ussuri region, a very small part of southern Russia, where it and the Amur Leopard are now being actively protected.

"Defined by its aggressive dispositon, the Black Rhino discourages intruders by "charging first and investigating later". John Banovich

John Banovich's art is big and powerful, as are his subjects. Spending months each year in the world's wildest places, he sets out to capture the excitement and drama of our natural world.