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Inspiration from Artists Wk 110 Featuring Artists : Robert Newton and Sarah Ross Thompson

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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Welcome to this weeks threat , unfortunately I needed to make a change from the artist originally posted this weeks artists are Robert Newton and Sarah Ross Thompson.  I will open with an introduction to Robert Newton and on Wednesday Jenny will introduce Sarah Ross Thompson. Robert Newton born in 1964 graduated from Sunderland University in 1998 with a Diploma in Fine Art, he continued to work and reside in Northumberland today. His paintings are a direct response to his immediate surroundings, exploring colour, composition and expression.  I hope you enjoy my selection of his work .

Norrette Moore

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As someone who's just learning brushstrokes in oils, I'm really impressed. His economy of strokes is fabulous.  Enjoying the light in them.  Going to look him up now. ps. and some of his sheep pictures are only 18 x 24 cm

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by Norrette Moore

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Tony Auffret

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I can't make my mind up about Mr Newton.  I get what Norrette is saying about economy of brush strokes but my first impression was 'I could do that'.  Fooling myself of course because his painting techniques isn't that simple or naive, but it does look almost childish.  I have chosen this one, curiously called 'Silver Sea" because I do like it, but then it is (apparently) more complex.
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Jim Morris

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I like the boldness and freedom of the work, but at times it hints of carelessness and a little slap-dash. Just a view. 
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Some of these paintings work well, others, in my opinion, don't - it's one thing to be bold and direct, and another to be so satisfied with an initial attempt that you stop short at trying to finish it; that may not be the case with him at all, but the trouble is that some of his paintings look as though he just couldn't be bothered to tie the loose ends together.  They'd look better at a distance, but then - so do I. Broad, sweeping brushstrokes have their place, but employing them without obvious care and attention can make them look clichéd, However: the painting fourth down - I have a painting of a very similar scene, similarly handled: his is MUCH better than mine; mine is an over-detailed mess, with poor colour by comparison (it is fairly old...).  His painting inspires me to have another crack at mine, which is stacked away, its face very properly turned to the wall.   It's important to remember that even with an established artist, there are peaks and troughs and stages of development; I don't know which of those shown are most recent - he's clearly not a painter to stand still where he happens to be: and that's good - fact is, I just don't like where he was standing, in some of these cases: I doubt he's still stuck there now, and hope he isn't.  We do change....
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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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I can see what you mean Jim , the first one I posted looks as it was a bit carelessly done close up I  have just looked it again from about three feet or so away it does looked better . I like the one you posted Tony It  bi similar to my fourth choice I think.

Tessa Gwynne

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Interesting choice Dixie. I find his much of his work makes me think of sketching rather than painting, maybe preparatory pieces.  Here are a few that I quite like which feel more ‘complete’ to me. I like the light on the field in the first, and they way he has painted the foreground in the second.

Norrette Moore

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The 7th - or second from last is my favourite.  It's called The Burn in Spring or something like that. Just a slash or two of the paintbrush to represent the Burn. https://azure.wgp-cdn.co.uk/app-painters-online/forum/09fb9b76-f8ca-431a-85e1-56c0fb79355f.jpeg
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Linda Wilson

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It seems a bit hit and miss for me.  No 1 and 8 don’t work for me and neither does the first of Tessa’s pick, but the rest really do!
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Linda Wilson

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It seems a bit hit and miss for me.  No 1 and 8 don’t work for me and neither does the first of Tessa’s pick, but the rest really do!
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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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I’m in the not sure team I look at his paintings and think that looks ok then I change my mind . What I noticed is that they do look better when you step back and suspect that on a wall they would look better, they  are to close on the IPad and you see every little detail.   Few more that I’m unsure about but in drawn to , no pun intended.
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Martin Cooke

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Interesting to hear people's preferences. The one that really works for me is the first (of the original set posted). The 'content' is sufficiently ambiguous not to overpower the colour, form and expressivity, hence it works as an abstract with enough left for the viewer to make their own interpretation.

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by Martin Cooke

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