Francine Long

Artist Statement

My favorite subjects to paint are horses and people in watercolor. I mostly work from photos I take of my or friend’s horses. On pack trips in the Alaskan wilderness, I do some plein air work and also take photos for future inspiration and reference. Nearly every Saturday I paint since I’m too busy or tired from teaching to do so during the week. So far I’ve been entering my work in watercolor shows and had my first solo show at Mat-Su college recently. My goal is to keep painting with the hope of one day becoming a full-time professional.

Artist Bio

Francine drew and painted horses as a child and teen, but didn’t seriously consider pursuing art any further. She first studied animal science, then returned to college to get a secondary teaching degree in math. One day about eight years ago she decided to draw a horse then soon moved on to watercolor and a little bit of oil painting. She started with horse portraits and is now doing more pieces with horses and people. She has been grateful to take workshops from acclaimed artists such as Judi Betts, Robert O’Brien, and Donna Zagotta. Some of her own accomplishments include acceptance into the Alaska Watercolor Juried Art Show for the past three years and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America Juried Show this summer.