Artist Spotlight: Erin Long
Erin Long grew up in West Falls, New York. After graduating from Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, she lived and worked in Colorado, Massachusetts, and California. In 2017, Long returned home to East Aurora, New York and began painting full-time.
Her favorite mediums are acrylic paint, charcoal, and pastels. Knives and long brushes are her tools of choice and she often holds them like a violin bow. She has sold hundreds of pieces to collectors in the United States and Europe and has participated in numerous shows in the Buffalo area. Her private studio is located at 391 Olean Road, Suite 7, East Aurora.
Q& A with Erin
What is the biggest inspiration for your pieces?
My feelings. Sometimes they are full of joy, sometimes full of rage. Every aspect of my feelings prove to be a tool I use to make art. I try to let the raw feeling of the child, adolescent, or adult be present in the work. I later “edit” with the adult “driving” so it is what I choose to share with those around me. Only I know what’s in the deeper layers. Sometimes it takes one layer to “say it” and you get it all. Other times, it’s much deeper. When I pair the feelings with music, I have everything I need to get started on the work.
What is your technique when creating?
I love working on canvas. I start with charcoal or pastel, hoping it will bleed. Then I choose colors that are speaking to me. Sometimes I play “roulette” and close my eyes and pick a color—that way I’m pushing myself to play with new things and see if I can make it all work. I never want to be “stuck” in one place with my art. I see each painting as art but I see the process as the real art: the dance between what’s inside and what’s coming out. I often hold my brushes like a violin bow, something I grew up playing since the age of four. I feel much more comfortable expressing myself with knives and brushes (and I’m not too great at drawing haha).
What is your favorite and least favorite part about professional art?
My favorite part: when I’m in complete meditation and I’m not the one creating it.
My least favorite part: when someone asks me to explain what it is.
What is your go to work playlist?
I go between two these days: A mix I made of deeply beautiful instrumental music… Max Richter, Jon Hopkins, Icelandic composers. The second—90s hip hop.
Who are your biggest artistic influences?
Children. Jean-Michel Basquiat. Radiohead. Stanley Donwood. Mark Rothko. Georgia O’Keefe. Cy Twombly. Martha Visser’t Hooft.
If you hadn't been an artist what would you be?
Probably a Writer. This answer took me a long time.
If you ruled the world what would your first order of business be?
Water.
What is your dream project?
To build a cabin in the country and paint it inside and out. I’d make stained glass windows. Fabrics would be painted or dyed. I’d paint each floor board. The linens. The stapler. Everything.