About Russell Collins
Russell The Ovenclean Wizard
During his day job, Russell Collins is part of the Ovenclean Milton Keynes Dream Team – and yes they are back at work – who are franchisees of the Ovenclean company. he (along with about 90 others) does exactly what it says on the side of his van. He goes out and transforms well used cooking equipment into gleaming kitchen centre pieces that dazzle all who see them. Ovens, hobs, extractors and barbecues are all scrubbed and beaten into a condition that customers are proud to show off. Such is his prowess that ladies stop him in the street and ask him for his phone number and many then pass the number on to their friends.
As well as cleaning ovens, Russell is also now qualified to test ovens and repair them when they go wrong.
Outside of the day job though, he is a totally different animal, he uses his artistic skills to show people, in pubs and restaurants that yes they can paint, especially with a drink in their hand. He is an entrepreneur, an ideas man, in fact an ideas into action man. A creative problem solver, and an all round good guy. Furthermore, he is probably the only Commando trained Paint and Sip event organiser, and Commando trained Bob Ross instructor in the world. He is definitely the only Bob Ross Instructor in Buckinghamshire.
Russell The Artist
Russell Collins threw down his paint brush at the end of his Year 9 when Art became a voluntary subject.
Nearly 40 years later he was visiting a Craft Fayre in Middleton Hall and he saw an artist named Paul Bryant. Paul turn a black 80cm x 40cm canvas into an Arctic Night scene in 30 minutes, and sold it twice in that time.
Russell said to himself “I can do that”, went to one of Paul’s classes and so an artist was re-born.
From that moment on, he was hooked. Russell did the Bob Ross (watch him on YouTube) Landscape Instructor courses, went on to try flowers, seascapes, landscapes and impressionism and thoroughly enjoyed it. He enjoyed it even more when he found out that people wanted to buy his paintings.
To see more of Russell’s paintings, go to www.RussellCollinsArt.com and click on the “Shop” tab. No, you don’t 
have to buy anything, but he puts most of his new paintings straight into the shop and some people do buy prints and reproductions. New paintings have been a bit of a rarity over the past year or so, but more will be added soon.
Russell can also do commissions, especially ones with a representation of the customer in it.
Where does the Commando trained part of it come in? Russell spent 11 years in the Army Reserves (or as it used to be called The Territorial Army). He started off in 131 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers (Volunteers), and finished in Bomb Disposal. You had to pass the Reserve Forces Commando Course to serve with 131 Commando Squadron, and it was a painful 2 weeks – worth it though.
Paint Night Party
Russell likes painting and found about a type of pub based event known as Paint and Sip. Basically, people buy tickets online and come along to the event. Over 2 – 3 hours, Russell takes people step by step through the creation of their own personal masterpiece that they take home afterwards. As can be imagined, Covid 19 put the kibosh on events for too many weeks, but events are now starting again.
He found out about Paint and Sip events from a post on a Facebook Bob Ross group and thought it interesting. NOW READ ON.