Author: Imogen Aldridge
New to the Art Republic community, Newton Davey and his artwork is sure to make an impression. We sat down with the artist to talk what inspires him, how his ideas develop and his new exclusive release with Art Republic.
NEWTON DAVEY: I've always been a loner and late-night scribbler, doodling my way through life...
NEWTON DAVEY: Happiness, joy and positive thinking. A smile a day is good for you!
Newton Davey in the AR studio signing his new prints
NEWTON DAVEY: Everywhere! As an artist you never switch off. It can be Lyrics of a song, overheard conversations on the bus, or wise-sage-like-sayings my grandad would say.
NEWTON DAVEY: My favourite colour is EVERY COLOUR. I was an 80's child, that was always dressed up in my older brothers hand-me-down 70's clothing - of which that majority of the palette was rainbow. I guess rainbow colours take me back to that simpler time of being a child with little to no worries.
Party Night by Newton Davey - £225
NEWTON DAVEY: I mull and think over ideas a lot! I will always have a sketchbook on me, but the idea lives in my head for a while before I put pencil to paper. It's usually a small thumbnail I sketch that solves how I will develop the design into a print. Using this thumbnail, I will then take the paper size and cut out shapes to size. Everything I do exist in real life - not on a computer at all! I will never fully finish the template before taking to the studio to print. like to make creative decisions whilst printing, such as colour and composition, to keep the print real and an element of spontaneity.
NEWTON DAVEY: Very early morning. Radio 6. Coffee. Putting a washing load on.
NEWTON DAVEY: Every rejection piece for the RA or not sold prints. I've a drawer of these and they make me mostly proud, cause it's always the rejections of misunderstood pieces that keep you going.
NEWTON DAVEY: Printmaking always excited me for looking like it was printed. pin holes, mis-registration, not enough ink flooded. I've always thought what's the point in hand printing and hand finishing if it doesn't contain elements of the handmade? So, to compare my earlier prints to now, my printmaking is definitely sharper and more consistent with the beautiful printmaking mistakes within the edition.
Newton Davey in the AR studio signing his new prints
NEWTON DAVEY: I'm super excited to have foiled a huge area on these 2 prints - 1 in gold and 1 in silver.
NEWTON DAVEY: I want to go bigger. I've also started to cut-out my templates in coloured card - the same colour I intend to print the shape in. I then rebuild the cut-outs as one-off collages. I'd like to display he collage next to the screen-print to better show the process/makeup on my work. I think the collages offer something much more hand-made, and that excited me.
Funny Sunny by Newton Davey - £225
Newton Davey, also known as David Newton, is a London-based illustrator, screen printer and picture book maker. The celebration of colour and form is at the heart of the artist’s artworks, regardless of whether they are clashing or not. Newton Davey’s process begins with observational drawings out and about in North London, finding inspiration and stories within the bustling scenes of street life.
We love how Newton Davey embraces clashing colours and the small mistakes that come with making screen prints. The artist says of embracing imperfection: “I love getting my hands dirty in the studio making beautiful mistakes. To me, screen printing is an art form, and I celebrate all the pinholes, mis-registration, crossover of colours, splodges, bleeds and streaks.”
Newton Davey has been working in the publishing industry for 17 years, surrounded by his biggest inspiration: books. He is also a graduate of the Cambridge School of Art and member of Print Club, London. The artist has been outspoken about his love for art and books, saying that his “happy place is where words and images collide, I celebrate this in my storytelling and printmaking”.
Discover Newton Davey's collection of artworks, including his two new and exclusive artworks here.
