This is an hand signed book by me Rosetta Newton Humphries in memory of my brother Harold Newton.

I will be making prints of my brothers artwork so more people can enjoy his paintings. They will be on a 8" x 8" Natural Stone Tile. Price will be $150.00 each. Contact me for further details as I am in the process of having these made by a third party. Some of them may take some time as these are old pictures and not the highest quality and will have to be digitally enhanced.

Bottom of FormTifton native pens book about brother

Dec 7, 2005   By Lisa A. Lewis

TIFTON -- To keep her brother's memory alive, Rosetta Newton Humphries wanted to do something special. So she decided to pay tribute to him by writing a book in his honor, "Harold Newton: The Man Behind the Art."

The book is a personal narrative that describes her memories of growing up with Newton, an artist who is best known for his landscapes. It includes information about Newton's life as well as exclusive family photos and samples of his work. By telling her brother's story, she hopes to help readers get to know him -- not just as an artist, but also as a person. This month is especially poignant for Humphries because it marks the 10th anniversary of Newton's death.

The Newton family moved to Tifton when the children were very young, and they were raised here. But Newton spent a large portion of his life in Florida. Humphries currently lives in Columbia, S.C. with her husband, Freddie Humphries, Sr. She has five grown children.

Newton's interest in art began at an early age, and his experiences -- both growing up and as an adult -- helped shape his view of life and art. He loved to paint and would paint anywhere -- even on the side of his house.

Humphries said she was inspired to tell her brother's story because he was a great artist, and many people are now recognizing him more. Despite this recognition, people are not aware of the personal history that helped make him who he was.

"Harold's greatest gift as an artist was his ability to adapt and paint anything," Humphries said. "He was also persistent in pleasing his customers and giving them what they loved most -- Florida landscapes. Harold was more interested in his art than the money he made, and his dedication showed in his paintings. People can really tell that he put himself into his art."

Currently, people who admire Newton's art are buying his paintings on the Internet for thousands of dollars. Some of his artwork is also being auctioned on eBay. This seems to indicate that his work is not just popular in Florida -- where he lived and worked -- but that his work has universal appeal.

Humphries said she would like for people to have a definite sense of who her brother was after they have finished reading her book.

"I want people to know that Harold was a kind and loving brother -- a nice guy, generous and sincere," she said. "He loved his work. Harold was his own person -- true to himself and his art. He not influenced by, or taken in by, the opinions of others. Despite overwhelming circumstances in his childhood, he followed his dream and succeeded. Hopefully, others will see that they, too, can achieve their dreams, and they will decide not let anything stop them from being happy and fulfilled."

Copies of "Harold Newton: The Man Behind the Art" are available locally at The Book Haven.