Gaby
At the start of her creative journey, American artist Carol Long chose a medium that is technical but rewarding: ceramics. She has never regretted the choice.
Ceramics gave Carol a way to bring her imagination to life and to showcase two lifelong passions: art and the natural world. Both passions took root in childhood on a Kansas farm, where she grew up watching animals, insects, and plants.
Her mother loved art and often spent weekends with her daughter visiting museums. But it was Carol’s teacher, the now-renowned artist Sheldon Hanstrom, who truly sparked her love of making. He introduced her to ceramics, a field of dramatic transformations where simple clay becomes artwork. Now Carol runs her own studio and teaches students, yet she still fondly remembers those first encounters with the mysteries of working with clay.
Working in luminous white clay, Carol Long blends phantasmagorical visions born from her encounters with flora and fauna. Plant and animal motifs, expressive lines, and sculptural forms emerge through her unique interpretation of Art Deco. More precisely, she offers a fresh take on Art Deco, the style popular in the first half of the 20th century. (Art Deco shared a fondness for plant and animal motifs and flowing forms and generally avoided straight lines and sharp angles. — Ed.)
In the descriptions that accompany her work, Carol Long says she’s most inspired by the flowing lines and forms she borrows from nature. She describes nature as producing “a complex flow of forms, lines, and textures.”
Within that flow, animals or insects can appear organically integrated into plant narratives or seem to emerge from them. At times a vase or vessel will take on the shape of a whimsical bird, rabbit, or butterfly.
Behind these aesthetic choices is a mastery of technique and a deep understanding of materials. Part of the magic also comes from her glazing, where colors seem to be chosen by nature itself.
We invite you into the enchanting world of Carol Long—a gallery of her fantastic creations. Click on any image, and the photo will open in full screen.
