"Newberry's work speaks to the senses, the intellect, and the passions of those who do not need the judgment of history to tell them what is great, but who can themselves make the judgment of history today." Stephen Hicks, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy
Progressing on my book Evolution Through Art, past the 10k in words, now in the middle of the 5th chapter, The Wizards. Here is a snippet:
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.
Michael Newberry, Idyllwild, 4/4/2020
Using color theory of cool shadows and warm highlights, I corrected this student’s painting. The student got stills with instructions of the steps, here it is simply a time-lapse. Shadows and distance are often either cool or warm, cool shadows imply a cool background. It works. I did about 12 steps, cooling up the background and shadows. For example, on the lips, I changed the blood-red shadows to violet, red+blue=violet. Then I softened the edges where there was a strong line between shadows and highlights, they always need a middle tone dividing them. Then I finished with the light using a light peach, light orange or peach is the opposite of blue — Warm light, cool shadows. I hope this is useful to you.
Michael Newberry, Idyllwild, 4/1/2020
My heart goes out to everyone right now, and I know for many of you it is hard, can’t work and don’t feel too inspired right now. But if you have some art project laying around untouched or a future project you have thought about I can help you and reconnect you to our primal art roots. Tap your potential and connect the dots of emotion, mind, and senses — it is one of the most healthy mental things you can do.
We work with email, messenger, and phone. You get understanding, nudging, and homework. Send me an email, mtnewberry@gmail.com, show me some of your works, and we can take it from there. Modest sliding rates, I really want to help.
Michael Newberry, Idyllwild, 3/25/2020
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.
My first day I loaded my backpack with my 200 piece pastel set, and packed several sheets of full-size pastel paper in my large portfolio bag, swung the bulky bags over my shoulder. Weighed down, I then swung my right leg over the scooter and the momentum carried me, the bags, and the scooter to crash to pavement. Laying painfully on my side, the pastels scattered on the ground, and with the scooter pinning me down I couldn’t get up. An elderly Greek woman dressed in black tending the church next door witnessed it all. And she kindly helped me get up through my blushing burn of embarrassment. Once I was upright she helped me collect the pastels. Not speaking any English, she took my arm to follow her to her favorite view of the church, and through hand gestures suggested that I draw it.
Continue reading “A Little Greek Pastel Painting Trip by Michael Newberry”
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 am writing my first book: Evolution Through Art. I have written the Introduction, and the first two chapters, about 4,000 words. Good early reports back from my copy editor who is a rhetorician! It is a story of how art plays the leading role in our evolution. It is a journey of profound respect and gratitude to the evolutionary artists that had the minds, substance, and courage to follow their truth. Often they fought against tremendous opposition from practical reality, their own arguments, peer pressure, philosophies, religions, and psychologically-impotent sadistic authorities!
Continue reading “Update 2, Evolution Through Art: A Psychological and Aesthetic Journey by Michael Newberry”
My friend, philosopher, Stephen Hicks is in Australia now lecturing and debating. On a break, he visited sculptor Peter Schipperheyn. I am envious. : ) Below is his post about the visit:
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.
I was very fortunate to have met and studied with Michael when I did. As a beginning artist and painter, I found myself overwhelmed at times— as most beginning artists do— in trying to discover a tangible process of “making art.” The most important thing I learned from Michael is how to draw correctly, and understanding values. These are the building blocks that all artists must learn. It also serves as a segue into plein air and studio painting.
Michael’s understanding of the human form, and of color theory are remarkable, and he explains them in a way that are easy to grasp. No matter what level artist you currently are— from beginner to practicing professional, I can’t recommend a mentorship with Michael Newberry more. Thank you, Michael, for what you have taught me, and for the doors it has opened.
-A.J. Nesselrod
Continue reading “Student Testimonials”
I worked till 6 am getting these ready to be signed. So far this week the series has 12 little paintings, the recent 7 here. 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.
If you click on the images in will take you to each painting’s page on my archive including the pricing. If you love one of them be sure to let me know and we can make owning it happen.
Michael Newberry, Idyllwild, 3/9/2020
With this Animal Lifted Embargo Series, I am refining my hierarchy of subject values. Humanity is at the top, consequently, I paint/draw individuals filling the universe of the canvas or paper space. Animals are a far distant second place, recently insignificant, but I am now enjoying placing them in landscapes as minor players. It makes me feel peaceful and the experience of painting them feels a bit magical. If I made them the same size as humans (allowing perspective truth etc) I would be extremely uncomfortable with that.
Michael Newberry, Idyllwild, 3/7/2020
hahah, I am enjoying the animal lifted embargo. I can’t stand painting little people in landscapes, makes my skin crawl when I see other painters do it. I love plein air painting being outdoors in a beautiful place just painting what I see, it feels like channeling the universe’s energy. But all landscapes have abundant life seen and unseen. For instance, while painting this there was behind me a pelican ferociously nose-diving into the water to pinch fish. Its only this last week I lifted the embargo on painting animals–I kept thinking of those horrible paintings of animals dressed as humans playing billiards or smoking cigars around the poker table. Can you imagine the psychology of the person that sees themselves that way? “Don’t mind me I am just a pug dressed as a human.”
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.
Michael Newberry, Idyllwild, 3/5/2020
