The Gentle Spirit of Cindy Long - Summer 2007 Issue of Horses in Art Magazine

The Gentle Spirit of Cindy Long

by Helen Ranta

"Unbridled" – Graphite by Cindy Long.
Drawing people and faces interests Cindy Long the most. Although she left drawing behind for a number of years to work in watercolor, her interest in the deep emotion that can be depicted in pencil never waned. With renewed passion, Cindy has returned to her first love of drawing the figure, specifically cowboys, cowgirls and people of the West, along with their ever loyal equine companions.

Long comments, “There is an honesty and directness in pencil work that is unique among artistic media. Because of this, pencil is the perfect way to portray emotion and realism. Without the distraction of color, the blacks, grays and whites of a graphite drawing enhance the subject’s attitude and persona.”

Kindred Souls was not a commissioned portrait. Cindy comments, “I encountered Jenni and her horse, Raven’s Wing, at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, where I live. Jenni and Raven have a close bond and the affection between them showed in their body language and demeanor. They both are free and gentle spirits, which spoke to me of kindred souls.” Cindy Long pursued her art interests through high school and college, earning a BFA in Graphic Design at Louisiana Tech University, and going on to jobs in the commercial industry in Texas and Oklahoma. Her new venture into drawing started again nearly four years ago when she was shown a piece of artwork by accomplished western pencil artist, Carrie Ballantyne. “The emotion contained in her work and her beautiful execution overwhelmed me. I owe how I draw today to her influence, teaching and encouragement. Her work continues to inspire me.”

Long endeavors to capture for a moment the inner being, the true self within each subject. Every person has a story. On the first page of her web site is this quote by Henry Ward Beecher: “Every artist dips his brush into his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

She concludes, “I see a bit of myself in all my work. Sometimes, I look at a piece of my artwork, and I see myself looking back at me, as if I am looking in a mirror. I am reflected in my work.” Visit Cindy Long’s Portraits of the West at www.draw4it.com.

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