Copying one famous painting may be helpful study, but boring. If you marry two, things happen. A new composition, a new story. That's what I do, in a series called Masters in Pieces. The last great work by the 19th century French painter, Edouard Manet, The Bar at the Folies-Bergère, shows the barmaid, Suzon, behind a counter in front of a large mirror, which places her at an odd angle talking with a customer who does not appear in front. She looked to me as if she were serving at an art opening, so I rescued her from this confusion, transporting her to a Manet retrospective, featuring his first masterpiece, Luncheon on the Grass, which once shocked the Parisian public and made Manet famous.

Video: Peter Hoving’s 13 minute video essay about my work, The Haunted Studio of Russell Connor, was selected for the 26th Festival of Films on Art (2008), Montreal.

Video: Russell Connor - a new video by Element6Arts

NEW: The Art Lover Series. When I saw the disciple's astonishment at seeing the risen Christ in Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus, I thought, "that's the kind of reaction I'd like to get to my art." So I decided to take him on a tour of contemporary art, including the art of cinema. He finds it all quite wonderful.

Special Gallery: The Haunted Studio. This series is an homage to the extraordinary artists in whose intimidating shadow I work and play. Beginning with self-portraits of Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Cezanne, and others, it now expands to include familiar faces from famous paintings, saints, cardinals, popes, kings and just ordinary people.

" .. Magically, Connor whisks away the artifice of art history to forge some deeper connections, and makes us smile all the while." - Eric P. Nash, The New York Times ( read complete review )