We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Newberry. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.

Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My biggest project right now is my space series, comprised of 64 by 48 inch oil paintings. Each painting features transparent human figure(s) set within a space nebula setting. I’ve completed nine paintings so far since last year, and the goal is to create three more. Two of the recent ones are included here, Hymn to the Sun, and Vitruvian Man. The idea behind the transparency is to convey authenticity and the absence of hidden agendas. It symbolizes that our human potential is unlimited. The space backgrounds further reinforce this concept.

Michael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

A little background: I’m a deeply introspective artist, a figurative artist with a lifelong mission to integrate emotion, thought, and sensory perception through the figurative nude. My first Eureka moment was at 11 years old, seeing a Rembrandt painting of his wife on the cover of a book of his completed works. From that moment, some 56 years ago, I have painted every day. You asked me what sets me apart as an artist? Perhaps it is what and how I incorporate lessons learned from a few great artists. Such as the scientific spirit of da Vinci, the dedicated work ethic of Michelangelo, Monet’s keen visual perception of the ‘now,’ and Van Gogh’s love of creating art for its own sake.
What am I most proud of as an artist? Perhaps the simplest way of answering that is that I love my works after I’ve created them. Even now, when I look at very early works, the beauty and the raw expression come through. Another aspect around my artistic creation is that I listen and negotiate with every voice in my head. From the whiny voice to the general’s. I will contemplate deeply what a particular voice’s objection is. It could be the technician’s complaint about the anatomy, or it could be the free spirit wanting an exuberance of emotion in the painting. I will sit down with these voices and come to an agreement of how to solve the problem and integrate it with the other voices’ concerns.
As an artist, I believe it’s important for potential collectors to understand the passion and dedication I pour into my work. Each piece is a reflection of my love of art—it is the real deal, authentic. And I try to make it as personal a connection as possible. Like visual thoughts you might never share with another being but only discuss with yourself. I hope to evoke emotion and thought in the viewer, and hopefully communicate a special moment that lives forever in the work and the viewer’s consciousness—a moment of love for their human existence.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was an American living in Greece, and I’d put together several pastel landscapes. I was honored to have a show of them with the Greek Ministry of Culture, in a massive vaulted room in the medieval walls of Rhodes, Greece. The opening was well attended, about 100 people, even some friends from as far away as the States came for it. Also, over the next four weeks, hundreds of people visited the show. The exhibition was also traveling to a gallery in Brussels, Belgium. I felt on top of the world that I was having an international traveling exhibition. All the pieces arrived safely, and we hung the show and it looked beautiful. With a lot of excitement, I was looking forward to the opening night. At the opening was the dealer, his parents, his sister, and his brother-in-law, who was one of my friends and collectors. No one else came to the show. Essentially, it was a magnificent flop. I was heartbroken.
When the disastrous evening was over, I decided to walk the four or five miles back to where I was staying. It gave me time to contemplate the disaster and all the effort that went into getting the work ready. During the walk, I got to contemplate what I could have done differently. But as I was nearing where I was staying, I came to the realization that I had, in fact, completed an international exhibition. It was real. The show looked beautiful. And by the time I arrived where I was staying, I felt at peace. I also came to the realization that you can do everything right, but it might not be the right time. It also prepared me that success and fame are not something you can bank on. So if you want to be an artist, be prepared to change the things that you can and not worry about what you can’t.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

At some point in my day, no matter how difficult the painting is going, there is a moment where everything aligns. A mark of color hits the spot, and it feels like I’m in sync with the universe. That feeling makes all the effort worthwhile. But it’s temporal, yet it is also the goal. Seems like a paradox. It’s like reaching the end but continues and is always ongoing. That experience is my primary objective of being an artist: to hit those moments. A secondary goal is I would love to be part of a new Renaissance, a celebration of humanism, knowledge, passion, and sensory awareness. Towards that mission, I’ve written several books on art since COVID, with the aim to share my knowledge and hopefully inspire and enable others on their art path.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://MichaelNewberry.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelNewberry
• Other: https://sites.google.com/view/newberryart/home https://michaelnewberry.substack.com/