I am a part-time visual artist. I have been granted tax-free status by the Irish Government for producing work of artistic and cultural value. I am married to Greg Long, a full-time professional visual artist and my mentor. We share a studio in the foothills of the Dublin-Wicklow mountains. I have recently returned to painting in oils after a number of years creating work through the medium of silk & dyes, both wall-hangings and wearable art such as shawls and scarfs, and framed silk paintings. I prefer to paint my oil paintings using a heavy impasto technique, often using a knife when painting outdoors, en plein air. I have been an invited participant in the international artists festival, Association of Beaux Artes de Monastir in Tunisia. I have also exhibited in numerous group shows both at home and abroad. South Dublin County council presented the President of Ireland with one of my silk works when she made an official visit to South Dublin County Council.  Christine in conversation with dignataries at the Monastir International Art Festival. |
 Christine, beside some of her work in Tunisia Artist's Statement I paint for the enjoyment of it. I often enjoy travelling across Ireland to the wild places of the west, Connemara, West Cork, Kerry, and other often wild and windswept places to paint and take in the atmosphere of the landscape. Because these paintings are often done on site, they need to be painted in a fresh, alla-prima fashion. The paint being laid down thickly and quickly, often with a knife. This allows me to work without worrying about weather changes, gusting wind and other hazards of working outdoors along the Atlantic Coast. I intersperse these alla-prima works with more considered works, often in silk dyes, sometimes in paint on canvas. |
