Laurel Long

Today I want to talk to you all about one of my favorite artists, Laurel Long.

I was first introduced to her paintings through the book The Magic Nesting Doll, written by Jacqueline K. Ogburn. The book is a fairy tale about a young girl named Katya who goes on a quest to awaken an frozen prince who is under the spell of an evil vizier. She does so with the help of a magic Matryoshka from her grandmother, which, when opened, releases a variety of magical beings that help her out of tight spots. It’s a simple enough story, but Long’s illustrations are some of the most beautiful that I have ever seen.

A panel from The Magic Nesting Doll. Copyright Laurel Long.

Her art has this sort of porcelain-doll effect. The faces aren’t particularly expressive, but the sheer weight of the color and detail in the paintings kind of make you glad that they’re not too complicated. Everything is so gorgeous and intricately beautiful. I especially love the way that she paints fabric. I’m not sure how even to describe it, except that she can make burlap look as smooth and beautiful as silk.

                Long has also illustrated some novels, the one that I am most familiar with being The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan. This is about Santa Claus’s daughter and her journey throughout the world as she attempts to define meaning for herself. Holly Claus is not a very complex character—her principal character traits are beautiful and kind—but coupled with Laurel Long’s illustrations, the story feels so much like a fairy tale that I never minded.

                I think that ultimately is what defines Laurel Long’s art. She makes images that are in themselves fairy tales, art that is primarily about feelings and inherent beauty, rather than about the logical difficulties of a story.

Laurel Long's website can be found here. I strongly encourage you to check it out.