ABOUT FOLK ARTIST AL LONGO

I started carving in the late eighties when my wife and I saw some Santa carvings at Peter Engler's shop in Branson, Mo.  My wife wanted one, I said, "Honey, I can do that" and bought some tools, a good knife and some basswood.  Well, a couple thousand or so carvings later, she now gets to keep one or two a year.

I'm basically self taught which I consider an advantage because it has allowed me to develop my own style of folk art carving and finishing.  In the beginning it was a slow process, a lot of ugly Santas, but it was worth the effort.  I hope to keep growing and expanding.to new areas. That's part of the magic of wood carving.

Santas of all shapes and sizes are my favorite subject. The Christmas Season is my favorite time of the year. My style of Santas range from the traditional Ho-Ho-Ho guy to the serious Father Christmas figure, along with my favorite, the Eskimo Santa.  I hope they all represent the true meaning of the Holidays, Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all, and Joy to the World.

I also love to carve folk art angels and a few witches for the Halloween season. Animals, Shorebirds, Decoys, Doves and the awesome Crow are also some of the things I'm creating.

There a a few people who have been an inspirational to me, and have helped me grow as an artists and person.  I think you know who you are and thanks for all your inspiration and help.

My work is represented in fine shops and galleries (look for them on my links page) across the U.S. and I do a few shows every year. My work is now available directly to you from this new website.

I'm currently lucky enough to carve full time and live in the beautiful Ozarks on Bullshoals Lake with my wife and two children.