My Prince by Christy Long.

Christy Long is originally from Mississippi.  Born in Florida, she moved to Bowling Green as a teenager with her parents. She said, “They moved to Kentucky to help build Logan Aluminum.  My parents moved on, but I loved Bowling Green so much that I have made it my permanent home for the last twenty seven years.”

  “I generally stick to doing paintings, but I also enjoy trying other forms of art.  I have recently started working with fabric to create art boards and art pillows.  I use upcycled and new fabric in these works.  I have hundreds of other forms of art I would like to try, just not the time needed to move forward with them”, stated Christy.

   She loves working with all different kinds of mediums and has worked with watercolor, acrylic, and oils.  She enjoys mixing some of these mediums in her works and enjoys trying any new technique that catches her eye.  But, she says that oil pastel is her passion.  Christy said, “I love the colors and the blends that I can get from oil pastels versus other mediums.  I think oil pastel suits my art the best”.

   “You can sum my art up with one simple word, nature.  It seems plain enough, but if you take the time to examine the world around you, you soon find it is anything but simple and plain.  The art that I do today, I would not have been able to do and truly appreciate twenty years ago.  I have always enjoyed nature and getting out and exploring it, but it was not until the last five years or so that I have slowed down enough to stop and absorb it all.  Using my photography to capture the beauty of everything around me is how I usually get my subject matter for my works.  It is now a running joke amongst those who know me that I will always stop whatever I am doing to take a picture of something that catches my eye, and then they will say, ‘I am sure she will paint that’.  I find most of my subject matter from my flower gardens and pond I have, my bike riding trips, and camping excursions I take with my family.  I do not edit the photos and try to use them to capture the subject as is in nature.  I believe that however the subject is truly in nature is what makes it so beautiful and unique.  My son, Nathan Long—an artist himself, will always critic my work and point out the imperfections and the unbalanced parts of the piece.  My standard response is always, “but, that is really how it was in the picture”.  If you have seen Nathan’s work, or Deadman Shoes as he is known in the art world, you will quickly see that we have two very different styles.  I guess the bottom line of what I want to get across in my art is simply this – life is short and fleeting, so please just stop and try to take in the everyday beauty and appreciate being able to be apart of it all.  I have a quote on a towel that I keep in my RV that I love.  It says “enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things”.  I do not know whose quote this is, but I think it is a message that is universal.  When you view my art, just keep this quote in mind.  It is the “meaning” per say behind every one of my pieces.  It has been a process to get to this point in my life and my work, and I can say that I am very happy where I am and the art I am able to create”.

   She spends a lot of time traveling, and will set up a mini studio whereever she can find an inspirational space.  At home, she tries to do most of her art outside by the pond or under her favorite, beautiful drooping cherry tree in the front yard.  She did a watercolor of this tree when it was in one of its most beautiful states during the fall.  The watercolor ended up being the first piece that she sold at her first exhibit at the Second Saturdays this past May.  When the weather does not permit, she enjoys working in her room where she surrounds herself with her most precious memories as inspiration. 

   Christy started creating art early in life with the help of her grandmother who spent lots of time teaching her everything she knew about sewing and creating art.  She enjoyed doing crocheting, painting landscapes and some portraits, along with making all of Christy’s clothes by hand.  She still has some of the chicks and rabbits that her grandmother helped her sew at age three hanging in her room.  “Unfortunately, I did not keep up with my sewing skills.  Guess this is why I stick to other mediums today.  I spent my 20’s and 30’s raising kids and doing my art in the form of craft projects, home decorating, and of course, school projects.  I got back into doing my art on canvas in the last few years when I had time to slow down and take time to translate the beauty I saw around me into art”, stated Christy.

   Ms. Long said she has a very strong desire at this point in her life to create her art, probably more so than any other point in her life.  Coming from age and experience and the simple understanding that if she does not do it now then she never will. She said, “I have such a sense of peace when creating a new piece.  Time seems to stand still while I am working on my art.  My art may not always come out the way that I envisioned it, but the end result still gives me a feeling of being just a little closer to that thing in life we all strive for happiness”.

   Christy Long has shown at The Gallery at 916 and the Public Theatre of Kentucky.  You can take a look at her work at Tea Squares: A Sweet Boutique, Candle Makers on the Square, and Labold and Sons Salvage: Local Art Gallery & Vintage Boutique.  She said that all of these businesses can be found in our awesome downtown area.  You can find her, at Second Saturdays downtown each second Saturday of the month, and at The Community Farmers’ Market located in the shopping plaza with Big Lots.  The Community Farmers’ Market will have a winter market this year every Saturday in November and December located in the “old mall”. 

   “I now see my art as another ever evolving facet of my life.  I can not see my life as complete without art.  It has allowed me to slow down and explore the bigger picture of things.  I hope that I translate my love and appreciation for the beauty of each day we are given thru my art.  I would simply like to keep learning and exploring my art and see where it takes me.  I try to keep myself open for any new experiences that come my way.   The quote that would sum up my life and my art is a quote from Elbert Hubbard.  ‘The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.’ I try my best to live by this quote.  You only get one shot at life, as we all know.  I don’t want to have to say ‘wish I had’ when it is all said and done”, said Christy.

   You can contact Christy Long by email:  natureisart.christy@gmail.com or on facebook:  www.facebook.com/natureisart

About the author: Ronnie Jaggers is a seasoned sculptor, fine artist and master crafter. Her work can be seen on ChiseledFeaturesStudio.webs.com. She reminds other artists “Trust the beauty of your art, for if you see the beauty, others will too.” To be considered for the featured artist call Ronnie at 791-3505 or email ChiseledFeaturesStudio@yahoo.com