Artistic Spring Cleaning

A Big Finish, New Beginnings, and Some Changes

Studio Immersion

I’ve been immersed in studio work these past weeks—finishing my painting Atlas Letting Go, planning my next, selling four drawings, editing my Soulscape manuscript, and making changes to my website. I haven’t been as engaged on Substack as I’d like. I miss reading, sharing, and connecting with you all.

Since I’ve been away, I want to share what’s been happening in my work.

I found the right rhythm in Atlas, everything connecting. I think it’s at that stage where I can spend a day or two just contemplating before signing it. I’m over the moon (pun intended).

Next Space Painting, Blooming Venus

This week, I also pulled two all-nighters, which I haven’t done in years, planning the reference material for my next painting, Blooming Venus. It’s a young woman of Bantu heritage, emerging from a silvery nebula with a bouquet of flowers in her hair. Here’s a 30-second concept sketch.

Major Tone Shift for the Soulscape Manuscript

For those of you who are writers, you might find this interesting. The voice in my head is forcefully binary: "This is the way it is, or lump it." But I’ve realized that this isn’t the best way to invite readers into my special world of art. As a result, I’ve been working hard to shift the tone of Soulscape to be more welcoming. This change is one of the reasons you haven’t seen new sections in the manuscript. The first five sections are a good example of the edits I’ve made, especially in the headings. If you’re interested, you can check the difference between the first sections and one of the later pieces to see how the tone has evolved, on the Soulscape page.

Soulscape 1, The School of Athens - Raphael
We Can Look to Art as the Heart of Civilization

Soulscape 2, Liberty Leading the People - Delacroix
Art Doesn’t Just Follow Culture—It Can Lead It!

Soulscape 3, Dance at the Moulin de la Galette - Renoir
Art Can Invite Us to Experience a Flourishing Society

Soulscape 4, The Sower - Van Gogh
Art Offers a Glimpse Into the True Essence of Humanity

Soulscape 5, Apollo and Daphne - Bernini
Through Art, You're Invited to Experience Where Passion and Technique Intertwine

Four Figurative Drawings Sold

I am very happy I recently sold four figurative drawings, the Elbow series of three drawings, and one of my life drawings. The last to Substack colleague. You can see some of my available figurative drawings here.

Changes to MichaelNewberry.com

I’m also happy with a big change I made to my website. I reduced the navigation bar to just three subjects: Art, Posts, and About. Before, it had seven or eight subjects, and it feels like a massive house cleaning. Instead of simply deleting the other sections, I added them to the sidebar— a much less intrusive and, I think, more inviting way to share things like videos, books, available works, interviews, and more. My site.

Thanks

I’d like to thank my subscribers for your support. I’m honestly a bit surprised by how well my Substack has been received, especially considering how artcentric it is. To have 716 of you viewing my art and reading my posts feels both humbling and meaningful. I’m truly grateful for each of you.