Michael Newberry
Michael Newberry is an American painter based in Idyllwild, California. He is a representational artist, blending a variety of influences, notably Rembrandt and the French Impressionists. His major works are typically life-sized canvases. Education and early career. He began painting at age 11, after discovering Rembrandt. He studied fine arts at the University of Southern California from 1974 to 1977 and was mentored by American modernist Edgar Ewing. Leaving USC before graduating to study at the Royal Academy at the Hague, in the Netherlands, which he attended from 1977–1978, later attending the Free Academy Psychopolis from 1978  to 1981. Outside of his studies he began creating canvases of life-sized solitary nudes, a practice he continues through to today. "Jette " is a good example from this period. Starting around 1980 Newberry began incorporating realism, quickly followed up by narrative themes such as with this 84 x 60 1984 painting, "Pursuit". Mid-career. Continuing to paint without interruption since his twenties Newberry worked on a series of life sized nudes including "Denouement, Ascension Day, Absorption, and Counterpose." These were exhibited in a self-promoted exhibition in Beverly Hills in 1990. After 4 years of teaching at Otis College  of Art and Design (then Otis/Parsons), he moved to Rhodes, Greece. Incorporating ancient myths with contemporary people and places he painted "Icarus Landing, "and he also completed "Synergy", "Release", and "Slipper "which were previously begun in Los Angeles and were 7 years in the making. Briefly living in Florida and then moving to Brooklyn Newberry completed "Artemis", 2006, and "Venus, "2008" "before moving to Santa Monica. There he opened the Newberry Gallery showing artists such as William Wray and Robin Purcell as well as his own works. Currently Newberry resides in the Los Angeles Arts District. Teaching. He taught  figure drawing, composition, and painting at the Otis/Parsons Institute in Los Angeles from 1990 to 1994. Published writings. Newberry is author of four books. "Evolution Through Art" (2021), "Newberry Color Theory: Integration—The Secret to Great Color Theory" (2021), "Art: Modern, Postmodern, and Beyond: A Brief Overview of Why the Art World Has Become Trivial and A Manifesto" with Stephen R. C. Hicks (2021), and "Pandora's Box and Other Essays: Postmortem on Postmodern Art and the Spirit of Eudaemonia That Will Replace It" (2022). Newberry has published reviews of contemporary artists, along with criticism of Postmodern Art. Aesthetic  Commentary by Michael Newberry: a small collection of published reviews and criticism. Advocacy. He created and organized the Foundation for the Advancement of Art, which held a conference "Innovation, Substance, Vision: The Future of Art" at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan on October 6, 2003, featuring speakers: philosophers Stephen Hicks and David Kelley, vision scientist Jan Koenderick, and sculptor Martine Vaugel. The mission of the Foundation was to recognize and promote innovative, contemporary representational painters and sculptors. Criticism. Rockford University philosopher Dr. Stephen Hicks writes: "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" About Icarus Landing, Hicks writes: "the thematic elements are so rich – reversing both the Greek and Christian messages: success following boldness rather than failure following boldness; and a quietly confident success rather than suffering and sacrifice." In an introductory essay to the Newberry Archive (an online compendium of Newberry's works), the archive's creator Brett Holverstott explores how Rembrandt's "Danae" is a precedent for Newberry's "Denouement".