© Neil Jussila, January acrylic/canvas, 46 x 36 inches
juss@imt.net
www.neiljussila.com

BIOGRAPHY: Born and raised in Montana - a cosmopolitan copper-mining camp in the Western Mountains of the State. The place of my upbringing was a colorful city of unions, brothels, neighborhood taverns, religious divisions and, ethnic neighborhoods. 

Degrees in art, Montana State University, Bozeman. 

Primary influence: Robert DeWeese, an actual figure in Robert Pirsig's book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Peter Voulkos and Rudy Autio are alumni of this University. Classmate: James Reineking, German Minimalist Sculptor. My painting professor, Sydney Kurland, directed me into studying The Artist's Handbook, by Ralph Mayer. I work as a teacher at the university in Billings.