Robert Long Oil Paintings at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse
November through December
Opening Reception | Friday | November 4 | 5-7 pm
Blue Heron Coffeehouse | 162 W 2nd St.
www.roblongart.com
During the months of November and December, paintings by Winona artist Robert Long will be on display at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse. Images from the years he and his wife Lyzbett lived in Mexico as well as his newest paintings will be on display.
“My work comes both from a desire to capture what I see as well as to gain a mastery of color, drawing and brush effect. I have always been drawn to the emotional strength of paintings; how great, painted works can inspire and enthrall the viewer. The variables to create a painting are infinite. Learning to control them to achieve an appealing and compelling work is an extreme challenge. I’m not really constrained by my subject matter and often wonder if I’ll actually be able to handle all the problems posed by my subject. But that’s how I learn and develop. It’s what make painting a sustaining focus for me.”
An opening reception will be held Friday, November 4th, from 5 to 7 PM at the Blue Heron. Refreshments will be provided and the public is welcome. More information can be found at blueheroncoffeehouse.
About the Artist
Robert Long began painting as a young child. Beginning in 1963, he spent many summers in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico where he would attend art classes at the renowned Instituto Allende and the Bellas Artes de Mexico. At age eight he submitted his first painting to the Beloit and Vicinity Art Show, Beloit College, receiving honorable mention.
While at the Instituto, Robert was introduced to bronze casting. In college at St Cloud University he would use this knowledge to construct a foundry as well as teach all aspects of art casting and mold making. He received his BA in art and art history in 1976. During this period he studied with Robert Kanyusik and received critique on his paintings from Philip Pearlstein of Brooklyn College.
After earning his art degree, Robert worked as an illustrator while going on to post-graduate study in chemistry and biology. In 1986 he attended the University of Chicago, completing an MBA. Combined with his background in science, his business involved biotech, pharmaceutical and the life sciences companies.
While his career provided opportunities for Robert and his wife to travel to many parts of the world, he knew at some point he would return to his love of painting. In 2008, after thirty years, he began working again in oils.
Much of Robert’s development in recent years has been self-taught, working across a breadth of subject matter, lighting conditions and color. In 2014 Robert attended workshops with contemporary realist Anthony Ryder at the Ryder Atelier, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“As a realist painter, I don’t always have a broader concept behind a painting. I want to create a mood. I want the painting to take on a life of its own, regardless of the subject or person in it. No one knows what the Mona Lisa actually looked like, but the painting evokes its own mystery. Good paintings do that- through a uniqueness instilled by the artist. Really great paintings do it across time and generations.”
After retiring from business in 2011, Robert and his wife Lyzbett lived four years in San Miguel. While there his work could be seen at the Magenta Gallery. Returning in 2015 to the U.S., they first moved to Asheville, NC, a city noted for its vibrant art scene and beauty in the surrounding Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains. Robert’s work was available at the Asheville Gallery of Art.
Today Robert and his wife Lyzbett reside in Winona, close to their daughter Rachel Long Pauli, son-in-law Dr. Benjamin Pauli and grandson Henrik Ian Pauli.
Image: Hare and Pear, oil painting by Robert Long.
Robert Long is a member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.