- A shy young girl watching an experienced skater in amazement.
- Two toddlers in snowsuits tussling over a sleigh.
- Boys playing hockey on a frozen pond.
They are all images of childhood. And it is
images like these that provide both the subjects and the inspiration for the paintings of
renowned Canadian artist John Newby.
As an eight-year-old boy. Newby spent hours
copying comic book characters. After taking art classes in high school he was accepted to
the Ontario College of Art where he studied commercial art. After graduation, art became
merely a hobby while he worked with the police for 10 years and then for another decade
with the fire department. As a firefighter, Newby had plenty of time to devote to painting
and gradually the hobby became a profession as he sold more paintings and won
international success as an artist.
It is not surprising that parents think they see
their own children represented in his paintings. He allows just a small touch of detail on
each child's face so that a mother or father's imagination can easily be stirred. Newby is
credited as the first Canadian artist to perfect this technique.
John continues his work from his home in Old
Port Dalhousie, drawing his inspiration from his wife Lorraine, his children and his own
childhood memories.
