James Creighton Long Jr. is a native of Melrose, Massachusetts where he was fortunate enough to be engrossed by a thriving art community during his pre-college years. In high school, he was graced with the teachings of fine art teachers Paul Squatrito, Kathy Marsh, & Chris Riccardi. Through their teachings, Long gained a stronger affinity toward art and continued his artistic journey into college. At the University of New Hampshire, Long had the honor of studying under national renown art professors Craig Hood, Jennifer Moses, Grant Drumheller, and Brian Chu. In 2003, Long received a B.A. in Studio Art with a focus in oil painting and graduated with high honors as part of the “University Honors in The Arts” Program.
Since graduating from UNH, Long has been surviving solely off of his oil painting since late 2005. He makes his living from selling his oil paintings at gallery shows, open studios, art festivals, and coffee shops all over New England and also from being hired to do commission work for clients. Murals of his work can be viewed at the “West End Museum” in Boston, MA , “Johnnie’s On The Side Restaurant” located on Portland St. in Boston, "Cambridge Health Alliance Medical Center" located on Canal St. in Malden, MA, and in numerous private homes across the state. Long is a member of the Melrose Arts and Cultural Association (MACA), the Salem Arts Association, the Arts League of Lowell (ALL), and the Western Avenue Studio Artist Association (WASAA). His work can also currently be purchased at “The Hourglass Art & Gift Gallery” in Melrose, MA, "The Loading Dock Gallery" in Lowell, MA, "The Joncien Shop" in Rockport, MA, "Sister's We Three" in Newburyport, MA, "Mill 77 Trading Co." in Amesbury, MA, “The Artist Row Gallery” in Salem, MA, the “Canterbury Hill Gallery” in Jackson, NH, and “General Goods” gift shop in North Andover, MA.
Long’s style is realism made through flat brush work and thin layers of paint that sometimes resemble that of watercolors. The surfaces of his paintings are for the most part smooth and often possess a photographic quality. The artist enjoys compositions that "tell a story" and keeps the viewer tantalized by emotional response as much as feeding off the physical attributes of the painting. Long paints with a full palette of color and creates his own black paint by mixing Prussian Blue and Alizarin Crimson together. This is a common process that most artists use to create a rich, dimensional black that more closely resembles the “warm” and “cool” shades of black we tend to see in the natural world. Some of Long’s influences are Edward Hopper, Carravagio, and Salvador Dali to name a few.
His body of work encompasses all subject matter including landscapes, still lifes, cityscapes, waterscapes, figure studies, sunsets, imaginative art, and much more. Long likes to keep his compositions limitless, so he can continue challenging himself and building upon his skills. Keeping the compositions fresh and ever changing helps the artist breathe new life into his technique and style. Long tends to create paintings from photos he captures on his own or from sometimes doing “plein air” paintings in the field.
J.J. Long’s work can be viewed in person by appointment at his studio location at 122 Western Avenue, Studio #518 in Lowell, MA. His portfolio and resume can be viewed here on his official website or by visiting some of his social networking profiles such as Facebook, Myspace, Deviantart, etc. To contact the artist with any questions or concerns, please email him at jjartworks@gmail.com or feel free to fill out the contact form that can be found on this site. Thanks for visiting the artist's website and enjoy your stay!
“Get lost in a visual dream and stay awhile…”
CURRENT NEWS
UPCOMING EXHIBITION
When: Thursday, Feb. 9th, 2012
Where: The Studio at 194 Middle St
Details: Opening Reception 5-7:30pm, "The Studio at 194 Middle St." above "Life Alive" cafe in Lowell, MA 01851. Exhibit runs from Feb. 9 - April 28, 2012
Come visit Saturday Open Studios at 122 Western Avenue in Lowell, MA the first Saturday of every month from Noon-5pm!
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122 Western Avenue, Box 130, Studio #518 | Lowell, MA 01851 | jjartworks@gmail.com | 617-803-7804
122 Western Avenue, Box 130, Studio #518 | Lowell, MA 01851 | jjartworks@gmail.com | 617-803-7804