Note Type
Antony Hayton, Exhibit DirectorNote
Samuel "Sam" Newton (1948)
Crimson Sunset
Oil On Masonite (Circa 1991)
Image Size 20" X 24"
Sam Newton was undoubtedly one of the most prolific Highwaymen artists. He started painting as a teenager and continues to paint today at age 76. He quickly became an accomplished artist; his work is always of superior quality, thanks to his elder brother Harold. Even the trained eye needs help discerning the works of the two brothers. In the beginning, Newton painted on Upson Board, framing his works with molding as the other Highwaymen did. Always the individual Newton later began painting on canvases rather than Upson Board and in larger formats than the car-friendly sizes other Highwaymen utilized. Today, his works are detailed and not overly large, and he usually paints 20" X 24" commissions on masonite.
Sam would etch the date and his signature into wet paint for a few years. Most Highwaymen would etch their signature in this manner, with their first initial and last name, and few would date their paintings—composition, style—the materials used in the artwork help to date the artwork. Occasionally, paintings would go unsigned; thankfully, most of them have signatures, but none are titled. This vivid work by Sam Newton is a step out of the norm for him; he tends to use a more naturally colored palette; however, Central Florida Ocean Coast is known for its expansive kaleidoscope skies, and recapturing that in their paintings helped their artwork become more dramatically impressive. Newton's spoil island of palms and feeding herons creates the perfect foreground for this, his ominous crimson sky, a color he rarely used. Sam Newton could paint as well as the best, and the best is considered Harold Newton, his brother.