Cheryl Long

Living on Salt Spring Island, BC, I am primarily a painter of Canadian landscapes, especially inspired by British Columbias’ trees, forests and coastal areas.

Oil Painting invites me to look deeply and reverently into the mystery I perceive in nature, in an attempt to present the character of a place through forms that speak of interconnection. Always searching for underlying pattern and movement, I try to weave the many voices of landscape into a visual, unified expression of it’s power and grace. It is in the last stages of a painting that I allow mysterious forms and shapes to emerge intuitively, allowing the rational mind to recede and inviting the mystical mind to take over. Years as a massage therapist, designer and illustrator are a foundation in my work, where suggestions of anatomy and flowing, merging shapes figure prominently, as well as a strong respect for composition.

People often ask about influences in my work. Of course, there are many artists I am in awe of, almost all of them in fact! I’d have to say though, that I take my greatest inspiration from a lifetime of studying the Canadian landscape. Humanity has shared a connection with the spirit of the land since ancient times, and exploring this artistically fills me with gratitude and humility.