About the Artist

Australian artist, Paul Newton has works in the permanent collections of the Australian National Portrait Gallery (six works), Parliament House Canberra, Princeton, Johns Hopkins and Columbia Universities, the National Basketball Association, the Cleveland Clinic, The Temple Emanu-El New York, Credit Suisse First Boston, Morgan Stanley New York and numerous other collections worldwide. His portrait sitters have included Kylie Minogue, NBA Commissioner David Stern, White House Chief Economics Advisor Steve Friedman, writer Bryce Courtenay, radio broadcaster Alan Jones AO, Rugby legend David Campese, Governor General Sir William Deane AC KBE, former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, former Westpac CEO Gail Kelly and ABC Chairman Donald McDonald AC.

Newton has been a finalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize competition on twelve occasions, with portraits of such notables as David Gonski AC, Frank Lowy AC, Maggie Tabberer, John Laws, Patrick Corrigan, Fred Street AM, Donald McDonald AC, Rupert Myer AO and Kate Fischer. His 2001 entry, a portrait of Sydney Olympic Games commentators Roy and HG, won The Peoples Choice Awards in Melbourne and Sydney as well as the Packers Prize. His portrait of arts benefactor Pat Corrigan, a finalist in the 2006 Archibald competition, was acquired for the Australian National Portrait Gallery's collection. Likewise his portraits of David Gonski and Frank Lowy form part of the permanent collection of the Australian National Portrait Gallery.

Newton was a finalist in the American Society of Portrait Artists 2001 International Portrait Competition, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and his portrait of David Campese won First Place in the 2002 Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition, in Philadelphia. Newton won First Place in the same competition in Washington DC the following year.

In 2010 Newton was commissioned to paint 32 pictures for the interior of the Domus Australia Chapel in Rome, Italy. Among the 32 works is a portrait of Australia's first canonised saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, and a new depiction of Our Lady of the Southern Cross. An earlier painting of Our Lady of the Southern Cross was commissioned for World Youth Day and it hangs in St Marys Cathedral, Sydney, where it was blessed in 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.