Profiling Artists NO4　「Ms.Kristin Newton」

　　　“ArtModel.Info” Interview Series: “Profiling Artists”

　　　　Profiling Artists No. 4　Ms. Kristin Newton　　

“ArtModel.Info” Interview Series:“Profiling Artists”
The fourth artist is Ms. Kristin Newton.
She has been active as a stained glass artist all over the world, and currently,
she is doing her original art activity in Japan.

Also, she is the creative director of “RBR”（ Right Brain Research）　
that aims to revitalize the right brain, which rules the field of art.
RBR aims to introduce people to pleasure of painting,
developing the eyes for the object, and discovering the joy of creation.

During this interview, she told us stimulating stories about art models
in other countries and the circumstances of Japanese art scene from her experience of working
with many foreign art models through her activities in the US, France, and Hong Kong.

Ｊapanese version

+　Ms. Kristin’s brief personal history　+

*　graduated from University of California (majored in art).

*　invited to Japan on an artist's exchange program and worked as an instructor of stained glass at various places,

*　actively worked in the US, Hong Kong, France and Japan.

*　took the educational method of the drawing using the right brain in her workshop.

*　established RBR in Japan and started to play an active part as a creative director.

The copyright of the works in this page is held by Ms. Kristin Newton.The copyright of the article except data and photographs is held by ArtModel. Info.
Please don’t reproduce them without permission.

Please tell us about your impressions of this article.
　

“I like drawing a living thing,”

Several months ago, Ms. Kristin injured her waist in a slight accident. However, she looked perfectly fine on the day of the interview.
I felt the joy of our reunion and said
“You recovered! So good.”
We could confirm that we both have been able to vigorously active.

The greatest charm of this American woman is to always give people a wonderful reliable feeling. She always carries a smile, and her unique gentle way of talking never let us feel tense.
She was so friendly that I forgot the fact that she was elder than me.

“I have begun to draw since at least 5 years old.
I always drew living things?a face of person or a bird,
and I still have an interest in a person or people’s face. I love living things.”

But, actually, she had no confidence in drawing a person.
She gained various knowledge of art sculpture,
photography and drawing in University of California, Northridge.

She was invited to Japan in 1980 on an artist's exchange program.
Until 2003, she has taught at professional schools,
commissions and several big events of stained grass.

Now she is rushing about on her job of making her stained grass works
and for “the right brain education”,
which she is engaged in these days all over the world,
and she has already been related to Japan for over 20 years.

It is very interesting to talk with a person who has looked a lot of things in the world
It is all the more interesting because it is concerned with my occupation
What is she particular about and does she want to bring up in this country?

“Draw a shadow, draw only space”

Art model is not the occupation that only to take the poses which are ordered and just stay still in an art school or a classroom.

Of course, they are needed to be careful with their behavior
and remarks not to disturb the atmosphere of production.
They also have to listen to what the teacher tells to the students and understand instantly what the suitable pose is for them.
I think models should be good cooperators of the teacher
as well to make the class go on smoothly.

One scene in Ms. Kristin’s right brain drawing class.

“In the next pose, please draw just a shadow in the model’s body.”
What kind of pose will the model do? Naturally he/she thinks about a pose which shows a shadow in his/her body by itself.

“Then, next please draw only space and cracks..”
So he/she becomes conscious of the space of his/her body
and the cracks his/her body can express.

At that moment, there are not the students that receive the suggestion;
the model also thinks hard about shadows and space as much as possible
that his/her body can create, and he/she tries not to lose the human nature.

What are the shadows in my body?。
What is the space and cracks I can express?

From the remarks of Ms. Kristin in this lesson,
we can understand how she needs a model as a living human who can communicate with. Each model bends or twists his/her body to take the pose,
which can create shadows or space by his/her body.
Every model has his/her shrinkage of muscles and wrinkles on their body,
and nothing is the same and repeated.

“The things only the human can do”
“The things only the living human can do”

-this is the place where art models clearly see the significance of work as an art model.

A work of “RBR” student
（Please click to see the bigger image）

----What kind of model do you like?

“I think it is worthless that the model who does not seem to love his/her work.
The students don’t come to love him/her even if he/she has a good appearance.
Their poses are also stiff.
I think it is interesting the model who works hard even
if he/she sleeps during the work (a laughter).”

“People often say that our school is quite different from others.
Every student wants to communicate with models.
That is because they consider models as human beings and not solely the objects.
They want to see the inside of the model such as their hobbies and things they love.”

“If I criticize the painting of a student, the touch of his painting becomes stiff and gets impossible to draw.A model is the same, too.
It is important that we ease his/her feeling
and enjoy making a happy atmosphere together.”

　

“Changing our viewpoints”

When I wrote this article, there was this concern whether people might think
I was being bias and picking up only RBR to advertise it with exaggerated
praises while we-art models- work at various kinds of schools,
croquis classes and art institutions.
It may be inevitable since Ms. Kristin is the director of RBR.

What I wanted to tell in this article, however, was “stimulation”.
And the main target, which I wanted to share this article with, is you, the painter.

It may be good that you let a model stand and chase only the figure of him/her desperately.
But sometimes it could serve as a stimulus to change your viewpoint and make efforts to
look at “the thing that you were not able to see”.
You not only look at the figure of a model,
but also look at the space, things, atmosphere and character of him/her.
You don’t have to focus your eyes only on the figure of a model
just because he/she is in front of you.

”When the intellectually handicapped people look at a model in front of them and draw him/her, sometimes there is no person in their works.
But there are certain influences from a model reflected in them.
So, please don’t consider they are not looking at the models.
have their meaning.”

-- I remember what I was taught by a volunteer staff in a welfare facility.

The lesson scenery at RBR seemed to make the students think by themselves and use their brains; it seemed to bring out their hidden abilities.Their works,
which are rich in variety and individuality, were the fruit of this education method.

“Foreign models/Japanese models”

this is what I must ask!!

“Japanese models are terribly slender.
In US, there is a very big model or 70 year-old model
there are all races. Various characters.”

Ms. Kristin came directly to the point
“Japanese models are boring.”

Everybody is pretty, thin and young..
Naturally, it influences the painter.
She even said “I feel sorry for Japanese painters who can draw
only young and good-looking models.”

How Japanese painters feel about it?
If they feel the same way as Ms. Kristin,
Japanese model industry doesn’t meet the demand of the painters.

“I want to get rid of an inferiority complex to drawing”

---What do you want to do next?

She began to make the stained glass as an artist when she was 18 years old.
She still feels the pleasure of challenge when she starts a new work..

Now she loves making human figures, which she did not have the confidence before.
“A face of a person is interesting! Now I want to draw more and more.”
The face of Ms. Kristin was full of “Exciting!!”

What she wants to do most at “RBR” now is to care the people who have inferiority complex to drawing. We wish we were able to draw.

We think that drawing will make our lives richer just like what foreign languages and sports do.
According to Ms. Kristin, however, among those adults who avoid drawing,
it is not just a few who have the experience of being criticized their work by
heartless words in their childhood.
She wants to cure their scars.

Ms. Kristin teaches them her technique to
forget the information about the object and express openly.
She wants them to notice that everybody has the talent by using the right brain.
She hopes them to find and take in the pleasure to express and enjoy
their lives since we do not need the inferiority complex.
Ms. Kristin herself also had no confidence in drawing, but through her study in many workshops, she acquired confidence from flashes of the right brain.
I think she wants everybody to be joint owners of “the confidence”.

A drawing of Ms. Kristin.
She says that inspiration from drawing of human body influences her stained glass works.
It is a good work: we can tell the feel of a material.

“Music and dance are indispensable elements in art.”

RBR teaches not only fine art but also music and yoga.
Ms. Kristin says they are both related to art.

“In the first place, it is strange that the subjects of a school have priority sequence.
Mathematics and language are important, but music and art are considered to be a hobby. Mathematics and music are related very closely, and to use the right brain which presides over one’s artistic ability have an effect on mathematics and other studies very much.”

Rather than saying, “You’ll draw better if you get used to.”, it is important to think about all the things around our lives and accept them into ourselves.
That way we’ll be able to do art, music and business better and well balanced.

We can say the same thing about a model.
It is told that if we use the right and left brain in a well balanced way,
there will be more flashes of expressing..
She said to me, “A workshop for art models? Wonderful! You must try!”

“Everybody must have loved to draw when they were 2 or 3 years old.
They were impressed by anything, and their imagination became more powerful.
They were not afraid of telling and expressing it.
So, try to do that again.You’ll become lively.”

Ms. Kristin hopes that by remembering the desire of expressing--which we all have because we were born as a human being many people can make their lives more substantial.

After the interview..

Ms. Kristin is just so good at teaching!
Though I have to report her as an artist just because this coverage plan is “Profiling Artists”, I considered her as an affectionate teacher rather than an artist.
She was so mild-mannered and genial that I wanted to behave like a student even though I am always shy of strangers.

And, on the other hand, she was a giving person.
She was telling us her experience and impression that she has got not only as an artist but also as a human being in this foreign country.

For me, who is always worried about something and knitting my brows,
Ms. Kristin--the master of letting the life be fulfilled is
someone I envy and became one of my admiring future self.

Though she is an important person who is active all over the world,
busy as she was, she said
“Great!I hope there will be more excellent models in Japan!”
and made time to my coverage.

Well, I’ll be generous person like her

The building of “RBR”--- the high ceiling and a bright bilingual atmosphere are also very stimulating..They are offering a free lesson for visitors.
Won’t you try if you are struggling to break out of the rut?

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　June 28, 2005 the contributor: NATU
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ｓｐｅｃｉａｌ　Ｔｈａｎｋｓ！
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Translation ｂｙ　「Ｍｉｗａｋｉ」＆「Ａｎｅｍｏｎｅ」

”Information

*“RBR” where Ms. Kristin acts as a creative director.

「ＲＢＲ」http://www.rbr-art.com/　　

*The page you can see Ms. Kristin’s works of stained glass .
(they are put in the public accommodations and company buildings in Japan.
Please visit to see them if you live nearby)

「Ｋristin-Ｎewton」http://www2.gol.com/users/kristin-newton/

【ProfilingArtists 】

NO1　「Mr.SANOMA」
NO2　「Mr.FUKUCHI」
NO3　「Ms.SUZU」

↑Japanese Only

NO4　「Ms.Kristin」

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