Woodie Long

Before he became a full-time artist, Woodie Long was a housepainter. Sometimes he would paint pictures on the walls of the houses he was painting, then cover them up before the owners of the house came home and saw what he had done. He eventually hurt his back and had to give up his job as a house painter. While recuperating, he began to dabble with his wife's acrylics and watercolors. He painted his memories of growing up in the south, the son a a poor sharecropper. These happy memories remain his predominant subject matter today. He paints in bright colors, usually on paper, but sometimes on tin roofing or other materials. Woodie has gained national recognition, with his work appearing in publications such as New York Times, Smithsonian and Southern Living magazines.

Sadly, Woodie succumbed to cancer earlier this year; thank goodness he's left a legecy of beautiful, spirited paintings for us to enjoy.