By Jennifer Russo

Some people are simply gifted when it comes to artistic endeavors.  The right side of their brain hogs the neurons and creative flow becomes the order of the day ~ EVERY day.  So it is with artist J.J. Long, a realism painter who never leaves home without his camera so he doesn’t miss capturing the images he sees that inspire him. He then documents those landscapes and other scenes with his paintbrush, capturing the everyday beauty around him on a canvas.

“I feel that there is a little more freedom and flexibility when painting nature.  I enjoy painting figure studies and still life as well, but I love the reflections that the clouds and sky mirror on the water and how the ocean can look like a sheet of glass at times.  I also like painting cityscapes and images that offer eccentric angles in a chaotic environment,” Long tells me.

A graduate of the art program at the UNH, J.J. says he knew that “…his calling wasn’t to become a nuclear physicist or something of that nature,” but when it came to art, was “…skeptical at first because I wasn’t sure if I could make a decent living being a struggling artist.”

Ultimately, he decided that his love for painting was a dream he wanted to pursue full-time.  What has pushed him to pursue this passion?  It’s his strong belief that “…you get out of it what you put in.  No one is going to do the work for you; you need to do it yourself.  One thing I learned from my teachers was that success is dictated by how hard you apply yourself to your craft.”  True to their words, J.J has found success in doing what he enjoys most. Twelve years after graduating, painting is still his sole means of support, showing his work in galleries all over New England.

“My artwork reflects my honesty as a person.  I’m not hiding anything when I make a painting.  It’s a direct reflection of my temperament as a human being.  I am very representational with my art and always attempt to make a polished product that all will enjoy,” says J.J.

J.J., who also has a background in music (as the vocalist for Hell Within, he became a very familiar face here in Worcester at The Palladium, Ralph’s Diner, and The Lucky Dog Music Hall), shares that he strives to combine the two art forms and hopes to incorporate the lyrics he loves to write into his artwork. “I have no idea how I’m going to do it yet but that is definitely on the to-do list.  I’d also like to experiment with more mythological subject matter and start being a little more conceptual in my painting.”  J.J. is currently working on a commissioned piece along these lines; it features a mermaid spanning a 36”x48” canvas.

J.J. has a solo exhibition coming up in January at the Beebe Estate in Melrose featuring over 60 pieces of his original work.  The opening reception is on January 6th from 7-9pm.  Refreshments will be served, parking is free and artwork will be for sale.  You can also go to public viewings each Saturday during the month from 11 to 3.  You can also view J.J.’s work at your local Starbucks, as his art is featured throughout the chain.

To see more of J.J.’s artwork, visit his website at www.jjartworks.com or his official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jjartworksbiz.

You can also visit him at # 518 Western Avenue Studios, located at 122 Western Ave in Lowell.