Russ Meyer was born in 1946 in the small town of Hustisford, Wisconsin, USA. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee. He is a free lance Graphic Artist. He spent his early childhood exploring the woods and rivers near his home in south-central Wisconsin. His father was an avid hunter and fisherman and passed his love of the outdoors on to Russ.

"Part of enjoying the outdoors is to appreciate the beauty of the birds and animals that inhabit the landscape and to understand their relationship to their environment and the unique characteristics each species has. Nearly all my paintings and carvings are a result of some memory or occurrence I've had with nature. The world of birds and art have allowed me to express a passion I have for both. I continue to search for those life stories that capture the beauty of each species I paint or carve and hope that this beauty and appreciation for my subjects comes through in my paintings and carvings.

My introduction to the art of making decoys was as a teenager. Waterfowl hunting was an important part of my fathers heritage and that love for the outdoors was passed on to me. The first decoys I made were from blocks of Styrofoam and the heads were wood. These were painted to resemble the species being hunted and were working decoys. They weren't much to look at by today's standards but they served their purpose.

By the time I was 20 and in college, my decoy making had come to a complete stop. It would be some 25 years later before I would get back to carving decoys but this time the purpose was with a different twist. I no longer was interested in doing birds to hunt over but more for decorative pieces. These new decoys were much more detail oriented and anatomically correct. The materials were now high density cork and wood, and realistically painted. Waterfowl decoys continue to be a major interest and focus for me today as I try to refine my technique and produce quality birds for the mantelpiece.