Joan Longo named Artist of the Year

Joan Longo became interested in art in 1970 when a friend encouraged her to take art lessons from a local artist.

She was hooked.

Now she has been named the St. Charles Parish Art Guild Artist of the Year for 2009.

She took four years of oil and acrylic and then attended University of New Orleans art history and drawing classes.

“I spent most of my spare time at UNO in the library art section studying art instruction books and the old masters’ techniques,” Longo said.

She said she doesn’t have a favorite medium, but prefers to try them all.

“I like oil, pastel, watercolor, acrylic and color pencil,” she said. “It is hard to find the time for all these mediums; but, I love them all.”

Longo has been a member of the Art Guild since 2004 and has been participating in the Artist of the Month since 2008. Since 2008, she has been named an Artist of the Month 10 times. She also won Artist of the year in 2007 and 2008 in the Louisiana Art Association Guild. Longo is also a member of the New Orleans Art Association and the Metairie Art Guild.

She recently won first place in the St. Charles Art Guild Annual Showcase at the Crescent City Brewhouse in New Orleans. Her artwork will hang there until May 31.

When asked what inspires her, Longo said not any one thing does.

“Almost anything I see inspires me because I am interested in painting all subjects,” she said. “I take lots of photographs for when I need to remember that ‘moment of inspiration.’”