Abandoning his focus from the prior decade as a sculptor and mold maker, Long began teaching himself to paint in New Orleans in early 2011. He initially focused on still life and portraiture, and then switched entirely to painting oil landscapes en plein air and from his travel photo references. He now lives part-time in New England and travels coast-to-coast in a motor coach with his family the remainder of the year. Long paints 2-4 originals a day.