Born in Portadown 30 August 1964, Long studied at the Belfast College of Art and Design before pursuing a Higher Diploma in Painting at Slade School of Fine Art, where he studied under Euan Uglow.
Upon its completion, he took up the position of Artist in Residence at the Byam Shaw School of Art.
Waddington Tribby Fine Art, Boca Raton, Florida exhibited his work in 2002.
[3] Long's work in oil on canvas has been described as unafraid "to shy from depicting the mundane and the trivial" and has been noted for its "passion for little things and inclination to save them from dismissal".
He taught for fifteen years at Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent, becoming Senior Lecturer in Painting.