Christine Long calls herself the Accidental Artist because she’d never done any art before experiencing a life-changing illness. Art became part of a way to rewire her brain after being struck by multiple sclerosis at age 50.

Originally from Ottawa, Christine had lived in many places in Canada and England by the time she was a young adult. She and her family always took an active interest in the arts wherever they lived. She came from a long line of artists but never considered herself to be one. Christine’s passion was archaeology. She pursued her MA in Greek archaeology in London, England. Eventually she went on to work in the business and not-for-profit world.

During a happy family life and successful career, a serious health crisis happened. She felt something rip in her brain one day when she walked across a parking lot. Within 3 days she was in hospital unable to walk, talk or see properly. Life had stopped on a dime and changed forever.

Regaining some of what she had lost took nearly five years of rehab which included Art therapy. Christine knew Art was a way to develop new pathways in her brain around the damaged areas. She went on to take printmaking courses with her cousin, Linda Blix, at the Haliburton School of Art. She later studied painting, mixed media and drawing. Encouraged by the joy she felt while creating art she set up her own studio working primarily as an Abstract Expressionist painter and printmaker. She co-founded ArtTrendZ: an Artist Collective, a diverse group of artists who meet for friendship, creative support, as well as participate in exhibitions and community events.

Christine has been a guest panelist at a variety of conferences to advocate for the use of art as a tool for healing in our healthcare systems. She continues to promote artistic creativity as a powerfully transformative element for wellbeing.

For more information about Christine please see her website at:

www.christine-long-art.ca

@christinelong6620

FB: ArtTrendZ: an Artist Collective. https://fb.me/e/11T5H1koe.