UPPER LAKE >> Local painter Marcie Ann Long is one of 14 artists picked from over 400 to illustrate heirloom seed packaging and the 2017 calendar for Hudson Valley Seed Co.
The commission was based on Long’s latest series of high energy veggies. As Ken Greene, from Hudson Valley explained their decision, “you were chosen because of your skill, creativity and unique perspective.”
Long started her career in Marin and Sonoma counties with advertising agencies and design studios. Prior to painting, most of her career in Lake County was in graphic design and photography. Whether using design, illustration, or photos; nature has always been Long’s inspiration. She worked with a number of local businesses on design projects.
Long now divides her time between photography and painting. About five years ago she switched from mostly landscape photography to food photography, still inspired by line, shape and color.
And then it started. The food jumped mediums, from photography to painting.
It started simply enough; a playful study in color and shapes of heirloom tomatoes. A few more tomato paintings followed but a funny thing happened. The vegetables, rather than being a still life study, started moving. Falling? Jumping in exuberance? Next, peppers popping, in many shapes and colors.
Finally after a long trip back home to Nebraska, and too much meat and potatoes, Long had an epiphany. Somehow the energy in vegetables, was similar to the energy in color. Long sought out unusual heirloom varieties. She found carrots from the flood plain of the Dungeness River valley, on the Olympic peninsula, are not like other carrots. That led to a cosmic galaxy of swirling multi-colored carrots: “We Are Stardust-Carrot Galaxy.” That led to a tornado of crazy colored and shaped radishes: “Chaos Theory-Radish Tornado.”
In searching for heirloom varieties Long visited the Heirloom Seed Fair in Santa Rosa in the fall of 2015. She discovered an art show (of course) in the middle of a concourse full of produce. The rest is history.
Long’s painting “Cosmic Kale,” depicting an heirloom variety of Russian kale for Hudson Valley Seed Co. The original painting will tour garden shows, seed fairs, and museums in 2017.
The Hudson Valley series is on display at Thomas Chan’s new Upper Lake Gallery, at 9451 Main Street, Upper Lake. Long will be in attendance today, Dec. 3, from 2 to 9 p.m.
A reception for the artist is planned with music and refreshments.
