Ceol Na Mara Art
Literally translated from the Gaelic, means Music of the Sea Welcome to my page, I’m Jackie Newton, a Scottish born artist based in the far North of Scotland. I live on the far North Coast of mainland Scotland, in Caithness, land of dramatic skies,wild seas and wind blown landscapes, very few trees but teaming with wildlife.
There’s a moment right before I start a new piece when everything is possible and nothing exists yet. It’s just me, a blank surface, and a feeling I can’t quite put into words. That moment is why I make art. I want to take you behind the scenes of my work— how I get ideas, what my process actually looks like, and what I’m trying to say through my art, whether you’re a fellow creative or someone who just loves looking at art, I hope this gives you a deeper connection to the pieces you see on my site.
How my artist journey as an Artist began
As a child I was constantly drawing, “doodling in the margins of my school notebooks” rearranging colours, “staring at nature, longer than others, overtime, that pull towards images, colours and storytelling never went away, instead of fading as I got older it grew louder.
There were a few turning points that made me take my art more seriously. I was always encouraged by my parents and teachers so in 1979, having put together a portfolio of work, I went to Gray’s School of Aberdeen, part of Robert Gordon’s University. I got a BA degree in Illustration Graphic Design and Printmaking. For a time after leaving Art School I worked as a Graphic Designer, but I was constantly being pulled more towards the Illustration side and painting.
When I returned to my home town, I taught Art at a local college, ( UHI North, West and Hebrides) for a number of years but continued to work on my own art, I discovered Art isn’t just something I do, it’s how I
process the world.
What
Inspires
My Work
Inspiration, for me, usually starts with a feeling or response before it becomes an image. I have always been drawn to “the wild”, whether that’s wild seas, rugged landscapes or wildlife, something of the freedom pulls me in. Living on the far North Coast of Scotland provides plenty of wild inspiration, from the dramatic shadows to the moody colours of a stormy sky. Other times it’s a memory, a song, or indeed the sound of the Sea. I’m especially drawn to the contrast between chaos and calm. Those themes show up in my work.
- Colour
I tend to gravitate towards a cooler palette, because they
create a sense of energy, melancholy and drama. - Composition
I like to leave breathing room, and the sense of
vastness, especially the wild open Caithness skies, drawing the
eye to the distance. - Texture and details
up close you’ll notice brush strokes and
layering that add a tactile quality to the work, I love when a piece
rewards you for getting closer.
Each piece holds a small part of my story, and my hope is that you see
a bit of your own story in it, too.
My Artist Process:
From idea to Finished Piece.
People often ask me, “how long does it take to make a piece?’ The honest answer is: the visible part is only half the story Here’s what it actually looks like:
- Collecting Sparks
ideas rarely arrive fully formed. I collect them
in fragments, photographs on my phone, notes, quick wee
sketches, colour swatches, even sentences that come to mind,
sometimes I have a title before a visual. - Planning a piece
Before I start, I usually loosely sketch out my
idea then block in the big shapes to figure out the composition,
kinda like a roadmap so I don’t get lost later. - The Messy Middle
This is where things get interesting, there’s
always that stage where you need to push through where the
piece can look awkward and you wonder if it’s going to work,
sometimes it calls for a change of direction, or making decisions
that give the piece it’s personality. - Refining and Editing
Once the overall mood feels right, I start
refining and adding details. Step back and look, even walk away
and leave it for a while - Knowing When to Stop
Finishing a piece is less about
perfection and more about response. How does it resonate? I
know a work is finished when adding to it might ruin it rather than
improve it.
What I Hope You Feel When You See My Work
Underneath all the technique and various media, I make art because, I want to create a pause in someone’s day, to feel, to think, to relate, we are all moving so fast, scrolling, consuming, forgetting to pause and breathe, even if it’s just for a few minutes, to feel a connection, recognition a sense of wonder. If you ever look at one of my pieces and think…. “ That reminds me of…..” or “ That feels like…..” that’s the connection. Art is incredibly personal, once a piece leaves my studio and finds its forever home with someone else, that is my favourite part of the journey. I hope you enjoyed this look behind the scenes You can find me on