I was introduced to Russell Monk through my friend Cory Wilyman. Cory & his wife, Chelsea, are the co-owners of an exciting new boutique galleryI received Russell’s blessing.

I was introduced to Russell Monk through my friend Cory Wilyman. Cory & his wife, Chelsea, are the co-owners of an exciting new boutique gallery, The Cardinal.

At the time of writing this, Russell’s photographs adorned its walls. They are a testament to a bold, diverse and long career as an artist and photojournalist.

The Cardinal was a week into Russell’s show when Covid19 swept across the globe to North America. Consequently, Cory had to shutdown a show that was meant to run for at least another two to three weeks. Russell, who lives in Mexico, was also stranded in his hometown, Toronto. With nothing to do.

Undeterred by the pandemic, Cory decided to forge ahead with a short video showcasing Russell, his work and The Cardinal. I, thankfully, got the call.

A daunting task! How do you compress someone’s life into a seven-minute video? Well, you try but you don’t. The best outcome is the subject likes what you did.

I received Russell’s blessing.