Student Works During Quarantine

sonia leatarde girl with doll oil painting

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

Akhenaten, I will be writing about him and Thutmose in my book, Newberry: 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.

Did Thutmose Sculpt the Mask of Tutankhamen?

Portrait Study Of AmenhotepIII-Thutmose Workshop_Egyptian MuseumBerlin

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?

Where No Mind Had Gone Before

Evolution Through Art by Michael Newberry

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

newberry-next-door-1988-pastel-on-paper-18x24

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

Venus of Willendorf, 28,000 BC, 4 ⅜", limestone, Austria

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 …

Student Testimonials

Chan Luu, Orb, oil on panel, 12x16"

"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

Newberry, Retriever, 2020, oil on panel, 9x12"

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.

Book Idea: Psychological Aesthetics and the Exciting Fight to Evolve by Michael Newberry

Willendorf Venus c. 28,000 BCE – 25,000 BCE Discovere 1908 near Willendorf, by Josef Szombathy, Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

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 …