Michael Longo Art

Michael Longo - artist’s statement

“The essence of all great art is gratitude.” This quote by Nietzsche, who celebrated the power
and strength of the individual and who believed that truth is subject to personal interpretation,
suggests that artistic expression flows from curiosity and wonder. As an artist, I’ve always drawn
inspiration from my environment, both natural and man-made. I had the privilege of growing up
in a military family where my dad took assignments all over the world. This provided exposure to
a variety of landscapes and cultures and art that shaped my artistic development throughout my
life.
Although I have traveled to many foreign countries, I’ve spent most of my adult life in the
Western U.S. Born in Colorado, and returning after my school years, I spent time working in
construction building houses and learning carpentry. After starting my own family, we moved to
Arizona where I eventually returned to school to study art and architecture. Throughout my
various careers, the desire to draw and paint have always played a big part in my life. While in
Phoenix, the opportunity presented itself for me to work with a well know art production
company where my work became popular with art publishers on the East Coast. I feel very lucky
for those years I spent painting alongside many talented artists who taught me new techniques in
painting as well as the variety of ways a subject can be interpreted.
Impressionism always appealed to me as a method of painting because it allows a certain
freedom in the application of medium and captures the energy of your subject without being so
detailed and precise. The French impressionist, Monet, was the best at this. Landscapes are
typically my focus but am not opposed to mixing things up with an occasional still life or a
Western theme that tells a good story. The Western landscape is abundant in form, shape, shade
and shadow allowing free artistic expression in rendering open space and big sky compositions.
Color and form are always my priority when painting due to a fascination with perspective and
color harmony. I try to be a good steward of this wonderous world learning more with each
painting, and am always grateful for the abundance of life.