By Julie Osterman
Spending a month in Italy and France this summer rejuvenated Arizona artist Jane Newman. Not only was it an escape from the heat, it also provided her a wealth of inspiration for her plein-air paintings as well as reference material to take back to her studio. “Travel is a big part of the painting experience for me,” she says. “It’s exciting and keeps the art fresh and the artist fresh and involved in the artistic process.”
Although much of her work features landscapes—ranging from poppy fields in Provence to saguaros in her home state—Newman occasionally chooses other subjects like houses or other buildings. “If I’m on location, it’s a matter of walking around and finding the light in the right place or the landscape that strikes me at that moment,” she explains.
A member of Oil Painters of America, the California Art Club, and several plein-air groups, Newman left her graphic design career in 1996 to paint full time. “It’s amazing to me that I’m able to do this and follow the passion to paint and express it through this media,” she says. “It’s just special.”
Newman’s work is on view in the SOCALPAPA Paints Back Bay exhibit, held October 15-16 at the Muth Interpretive Center in Newport Beach. She is represented by El Presidio Gallery, Tucson, AZ, and Ruidoso, NM, and Sedona Arts Center Gallery, Sedona, AZ.
Featured in “Artists to Watch” October 2005