It was the 80s. Paul Newton had finished a science degree and was a singer in a band. He sensed, though, that this was not meant to be his life’s work.

‘I’m a bit of a perfectionist and unless I can do something really well I find it frustrating to do it at all’.

So he decided to change course and he put that perfectionism to good use; he is now one of Australia’s most highly skilled and accomplished portrait painters.

If you are interested in the Archibald prize, you no doubt will have seen a Paul Newton portrait. He’s been a finalist 15 times, a People’s Choice winner twice and Packing Room winner twice.

But those portraits are just the tip of the iceberg. He has been painting the portraits of notable people for over 30 years, spanning the arts, business, law, sport, the church, the military and more. From Hugh Jackman to Kylie Minogue, from former prime minister Bob Hawke to former governor general Sir William Deane, from David Gonski to Frank Lowy, Roy and HG to David Campese, Maggie Tabberer and even Saint Mary Mackillop.

Paul has six works in the National Portrait Gallery’s collection, has been awarded art prizes in the US and his many commissions include 32 pictures for the interior of the Domus Australia Chapel in Rome.

In this first of a two-part episode we talk about how he became an artist and the stories behind many works including his portraits of Hugh Jackman and Deborra Lee-Furness, Roy and HG and Maggie Tabberer. In the next episode we’ll dive into other works but also talk more about technique including an in-depth discussion about his use of colour.

Scroll down for two YouTube videos, the first of excerpts from the podcast interview and the second of Paul demonstrating mixing flesh tones on his palette.

To hear the episode click on play beneath the above feature photo.

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Links

https://youtu.be/YhVVKyAZO6w

https://youtu.be/R3w1znrxtMs

‘Portrait of Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness’
oil on linen, 215 x 142.2cm
Finalist Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, 2022

‘Roy and HG (John Doyle and Greig Pickhaver)‘
Oil on canvas
137.5 x 124 cm

Finalist Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, 2001, Packing Room Prize winner, People’s Choice winner

(L) ‘Maggie Tabberer 1999’
Oil on canvas, 213.5 x 106.5cm

(R) ‘Maggie Tabberer 2020’
Oil on linen, 213.5 x 130.5 cm

‘David Campese II’, 2000, oil on canvas, 125.0 cm x 115.0 cm

Collection: National Portrait Gallery

The Beethoven death mask study which Paul talks about at 27min 15sec

Paul Newton (part 1)

It was the 80s. Paul Newton had finished a science degree and was a singer in a band. He sensed, though, that this was not meant to be his life’s work.