The men who write TV westerns would be hard put to create a character as fabulous① as Charles Marion Russell. He was a painter， sculptor， and professional cowboy. He lived the life of a cowhand in the old west during the feverish② days of fast horses and faster guns. At the same time he created realistic images of the West in bronze and on canvas.
Russell was born in St. Louis， Missouri， in 1864. He may have inherited his artistic galant from his mother， who was an accomplished amateur③ painter. When Russell was fifteen， his parents finally yielded to④ his craving⑤ for the West and allowed him to go to a ranch⑥ in Montana.
When Russell arrived there， the few white men in Montana were mostly miners and cattlemen. The Indians-Sioux and Cheyenne—still had vivid memories of the Sioux victory over Custer in 1876.
Russell sketched what he saw：cow hands， Indians， home-steaders， horses， buffaloes⑦， grizzlies⑧， and wolves. From on—the spot sketches⑨ came most of his famous paintings and magnificent bronze statues.
① fabulousadj. 惊人的；难以置信的
② feverishadj. 狂热的，兴奋的
③ amateurn. (科学、艺术、运动等的)业余从事者
④ yield to式屈服
⑤ cravev. 恳求，请求
⑥ ranchn. 大牧场，大农场
⑦ buffalon. 水牛
⑧ grizzlyn. (北美产的)灰熊
⑨ sketchn. 略图，草图；粗样；草稿
查理·马里恩·罗素的画和铜像
编写西部电视作品的人，要塑造一个像查理·马里恩·罗素这样传奇式的人物，是会感到困难的。他既是画家、雕刻家，又是一名职业牛仔。在马快枪更快的疯狂年代里，他在古老的西部地区过着一名牧场工人的生活。与此同时，他在青铜雕刻和油画上塑造了西部地区的一些真实形象。
罗素于1864年生于密苏里州的圣路易市。他母亲是位颇有造诣的业余画家，他也许从母亲身上继承了艺术才能。罗素15岁时，父母在他渴望奔赴西部地区这一问题上，最终作了让步，允许他去蒙大拿的一个大牧场。
罗素抵达那儿时，蒙大拿为数不多的白人大多是矿工和牧牛人。印第安人——苏族和晒延族，仍然对1876年苏族战胜卡斯特记忆犹新。
罗素将其所见的一切——牛仔、印第安人、定居移民、马、水牛、灰熊和狼，画成速写。他的大多数著名画幅和精美的铜像就是从这些实地速写中诞生的。