Very proud of my students, these works were done independently of me. They took what they had been learning and applied it on their own, self-motivated, and, in my mind, very successfully. Sonia painted the two girls from masterworks from the Prado, but they are free transcriptions. We've been working with color theory and forming the structure of the face. Sonia's recent lessons with me was to freely copy some classic sculpture heads to learn form. The roundness in her children's faces is superb. And they look like children, one of the most difficult things to do in art.
Update on Evolution Through Art
The early artist would have been shifting valuable efforts away from life-sustaining work towards the abstract pursuit of art. All animals engage in life-sustaining action, but it would appear as if the artist was rejecting this. Visual art, then as now, has no utilitarian purpose, none whatsoever. Art could not mend things, carve arrows, and build fires. It was not a tool. It did not give warmth, shelter, food, or security. In practical terms it was useless. Diverting resources for such an senseless art adventure would be perceived as a psychosis, the artist having a partial or total break with reality.
The Echo Series, Pastel Figurative Drawings by Michael Newberry
My take on the ancient tradition of overlaying figurative drawings, from Chauvet Caves to Duchamp.
Did Thutmose Sculpt the Mask of Tutankhamen?
I was struck by the similarities of this sculpture of Tutankhamen's grandfather, Amenhotep III and the famous Gold Mask of Tutankhamen. But I am wondering if the portrait study is not Amenhotep III but a life study of Tutankhamen?
Model in the Studio, wip
Update on the work in progress of my life-sized nude, and about the composition.
Where No Mind Had Gone Before
For the artists that didn't turn away they would have to cope with, defend, and manage resentment. For their art they would breath deep, fortify themselves, and let go of certainty and control and dive into a vast alternative universe; exploring where no mind had gone before.
A Little Greek Pastel Painting Trip by Michael Newberry
Years ago I took a pastel painting trip of a lifetime, for three months I traveled from Athens, Greece to many islands, eventually to Istanbul, and slowly back again to Athens. My first island was Tinos, from the harbor I rented a scooter, booked a tiny house outside of town for 15 dollars a night. The porch had a sloping view over gray-green olive groves down to the dark and brilliant ultramarine blue Mediterranean, about 300 ft to the left was a small, room-sized luminous white-plastered Byzantine church.
Update 2, Evolution Through Art: A Psychological and Aesthetic Journey by Michael Newberry
Horses Heads, Venus of Willendorf, and Lion Man, 40-35,000 BC I hope everyone is doing okay in these early stages of quarantining. Heartbreaking. Around the start of it I came up with the concept to write this book on aesthetics. I am dividing my time painting, writing the book, and, it seems, washing dishes. I …
Stephen Hicks visits Peter Schipperheyn’s “Zarathustra” Sculpture
Stephen Hicks: In Melbourne, I met Peter Schipperheyn, creator of the magnificent Thus Spake Zarathustra. The monumental piece is at the McClelland Sculpture Park near Mornington. The tension running through Zarathustra’s bowed body as he reaches and affirms his decision is powerful.
Student Testimonials
"I began art lessons with Michael as a true beginning student. Michael was patient and kind, but honest, which allowed me to progress while not feeling intimidated. I was excited to learn about technique with different media, color theory and light. Michael's passion and knowledge instills positive energy in his students."
Embargo Series by Michael Newberry
The Animal Lifted Embargo Series has significantly changed my opinion about including animals in my paintings. They really help set off the scale and atmosphere of the landscapes. I am surprised that just two tiny marks, in the case of the sandpipers, can reset the landscapes dramatically.
Newberry, Seagull at Picnic Island, 2020, oil on panel, 12×16″
There is an exciting tension in placing an animal just right, it seems to set off the landscape and definitely twerks the composition, like a zigzag incorporating the direction of the light, the bird's flight path, the feeling of "lift," setting off the formal composition of the water and land masses. Delightfully fun.
Book Idea: Psychological Aesthetics and the Exciting Fight to Evolve by Michael Newberry
Beyond Obstacles, Malevolence, and Ignorance Willendorf Venus c. 28,000 BCE – 25,000 BCE Discovere 1908 near Willendorf, by Josef Szombathy, Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria I have been thinking about writing an art book filled with stories, anecdotes, speculation on prehistorical art, real life experiences, and the knowledge of what is it is like to strive …

