Harold Newton's Vehicle

In case you didn't know, I get around. (cue the Beach Boys).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcb2vIFVCLA

I didn't get involved with highwaymen art until I saw a Newton landscape bought by John Phillips in a Hood Auction and then read Fitch's article naming them "the highwaymen" in 1995, so I never had the opportunity to meet Harold Newton.

But, for the last fifteen plus years, I've been meeting people who knew and dealt with Harold Newton, speaking with them at the shows I attend around Florida, or talking with them via phone and exchanging emails. These people number in the hundreds, maybe more, a never ending procession, it seems.

Usually their story is the same. "Oh, I worked in a bank and he'd come in and put his paintings around and we'd buy one or two for $ 20 or $ 25."

Or they worked in a lawyer's office, a doctor's office, a furniture store and he'd come around, haul his paintings out of his van or the trunk of his car and spread them out. People would buy them or he'd trade them for services, groceries, dental work, whatever he could get away with.
He would show up anywhere, from Jacksonville to Miami, from Vero to Sarasota.

Obviously he was successful in doing this, as it has been speculated that he created and sold or traded 40,000 to 50,000 paintings in the four decades of his career, mid-1950's to mid-1990's.
Some of the stories, but not many, deviated from the norm.

One guy I spoke with about a year back, who is now in California, piloted a small plane and told me he would fly Harold to the islands with Backus. That surprised me, as I thought Backus allowed Hair to come along on these trips, but I didn't know that Harold would accompany him. I found the old guy to be credible, after all, he showed me two classic 1960's four footers on upson that were both drop-dead gorgeous, the only two he kept for himself having had many. He also told me Harold gave him paintings on consignment to sell for him, as his other job was as a furniture salesman who would visit stores around the state on a regular basis and show the art along with his tables and chairs. He claimed sales were good back then.

Sales have been pretty good for me, too, so his claim was believable.

Since I titled this little interlude "Harold Newton's Vehicle", I should probably get to the point. I originally talked to this lady at the fairgrounds show in West Palm Beach last year and she told a truly amusing tale. She reappeared at my recent Melbourne Auditorium show and repeated the story. This was not unusual, as I KNOW that I've patiently listened to the same people telling me their same story again and again, show after show.

I didn't remember her face, but I remembered her story, and so will you.

When she popped up this time in Melbourne, I was ready for her with this blog in mind and I flat out grilled her for details. Luckily her husband was with her and she dragged him over to my booth to fill in a few facts. I put my reporter's cap on and took notes on an amusing tale.

All for you, gentle reader, all for you. I mean, I'm already amused, now it's your turn.

Harold bought a 1969 white four door Ford from the Bev Smith automobile dealership in West Palm Beach. I imagine he put down a stack of cash, but I know he financed the balance.

The lady I spoke with is Jeanne Harris and she introduced me to her husband Charles Harris, who is known as "Bill". Now, I know some Charleses who are known as "Chuck", but this was the first time...............ah, I digress.

Bill, who worked for the finance company, Commercial Credit in West Palm, told me that Harold made his payments on a regular basis for about the first six months, then stopped. They didn't see him around, so the deal graduated to a repossession situation. Somehow they tracked him down and eventually spotted him and his vehicle across the state in St. Petersburg, of all places.

The car was a little beat up and scratched and the Repo man secured it for the finance company, but here's the good part.

Harold had painted his car not only with typical flames emerging from the engine area, but also with "Rio Mar" beach scenes on both sides as well as the hood and the trunk. He did the same on the interior, embellishing the dashboard.

Now here's the best part. On these painted beaches, running about in the sand, all around the car and on the dashboard he added a bunch of nude voluptuous young women.

It may have been his vision of heaven.

Having read all I have about Harold and his appetites, and as brother Sam says, "He never put down his paint brush or knife", I have no reason to doubt this story.

Jeanne and Bill are credible witnesses and knew Harold as personable and friendly . They would have no reason to fabricate the story, as they told me he sold them a jumbo beach scene for five dollars. Sure sounds like a friendly price for the size. 75% off, just like a jewelry store.

It still hangs in their home.

No, I didn't go see it. It might be one of the great ones.

I did ask them if there were any naked chicks in it.

God only knows what happened with the car.

Highwaymen show in Jax

FEBRUARY 12, 2011

If you're in northern Florida go see it.

I'm not very good at posting images.

If you click on it it should enlarge and hopefully you can read it.

Florida highwaymen websites

So here we sit, January 2011.

Yesterday, aces were wild, 1/11/11, and coming soon in November, well ...........I don't have to tell you.

Every so often AOL (damn them, once again) sneaks into my computer overnight and scrambles up and scatters all my bookmarked favorites, some go north, others go south, there's no rhyme or reason. And they also restore some favorites that I have long ago deleted.

It's like the episode in that Larry David show, "Curb Your Enthusiasm", where, in a meeting, the brilliant Mel Brooks is sitting next to the brilliant, yet anal-retentive obsessive David, who carefully lines up all his pens, pencils and notepads in parallel lines and has them just perfect.

The instant he's distracted, or turns his head, Brooks immediately reaches over and messes with them, scattering them about. This happens several times and nothing is said, David simply fixes his stuff, lines them back up. Dueling obsessions.

Despite the money I give them every month, AOL becomes Mel Brooks every few months.
Maybe they think it's funny. I don't.

The point of all that claptrap is that I was reminded of how many highwaymen web sites have come and gone in the last decade because they have reappeared due to this AOL cyber-mischief. There have been quite a few dealers, artists, wannabes and copy-cats who have drifted into this market only to drift back out.

Speaking of wannabes, I just can't stop myself from mentioning this. If you watch eBay, you may have noticed that there's a new clown in town and he's wearing a cowboy hat. Sheesh.

Gone, but not forgotten (by me, anyway), are sites by Roy McLendon Sr, Mary Ann Carroll and the Buckner Brothers (done by Ellis Jr.).

And who could forget dealer John Phillips and his FLART ? Great name.

I was also reminded that we are still standing after a full decade of putting our main web site http://www.highwaymen-buy-sell-trade.com/ up there for the world to find.

When AOL restores sites I had marked in the past, I tend to click on them to see what's what.
All are no longer valid, their former domain names available for sale, which is, of course, why I deleted them in the first place.

So, of course, I delete them all once again.

Every morning I monitor all things "highwaymen" on the Internet, art shows, antique shows, dealers, auction houses, artists, and any news articles or new publications.

If I'm going to be ON TOP OF THE MARKET, I feel as though it's nothing less than my duty to do this. So I do it.

I do hereby officially pat myself on the back for having the perseverance to keep on keeping on, staying with this market and the art that I truly love.

Florida highwayman art

Merry Christmas everyone.

And happy birthday to my wife Carol.

She's old.

2010 art market

Just goes to show you, once again, art is a good investment.

Here's who made money in 2010.

Auction houses and multi-millionaires.

What about us penny-ante thousandaires ?

We had to sit and watch. C'est la vie.

Here's the story.
http://www.mutualart.com/OpenArticle/2010-Auction-Summary--Which-artist-sold-/CD898D8BE76027B2?utm_source=newsletter_b&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_artfocus

And here's the music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDle0aVv13o

Florida's highwaymen.

I don't think that this was one of our guys. They don't fool around in Pakistan, right ?

Highwayman killed by friendly fire Pakistan News Blog
Dec 16, 2010 ... Police said the highwaymen blocking the road near Dhudial were looting the passengers for two hours.

Vintage highwaymen vs. current works

Maynor vs. Lewis

These are OK looking and are original highwaymen paintings.

Are prices like these watering down the market in general ?
You be the judge.

John Maynor, highwayman, current work 10 x 8 (on the left)
12/16/10
Winning bid:
US $68.00

R. L. Lewis, highwayman, current work 10 x 8 (on the right)
12/16/10
Winning bid:
US $152.50

Does this mean every Robert Lewis painting is worth twice what a John Maynor painting of the same size is worth ?

Au contraire, mon frere.

Some people think that's how this market works.

Strictly by the numbers, like Wall St.

Some of these people are highly advertised accredited appraisers who have purchased memberships in various organizations with impressive initials.

Caveat emptor, boys and girls.