Barbara Benedetti Newton American, b. 1943
My art has always been a return to myself; a renewed commitment to color, clarity, and the quiet stories found in everyday moments.
Barbara Benedetti Newton’s artistic journey is one of continual transformation, shaped by early training in illustration, a long sabbatical devoted to family and work, and a powerful return to full-time art that redefined her creative path. From her beginnings at the Burnley School of Professional Art to her rise as a leading figure in colored pencil and later pastel, her work demonstrates exceptional technical skill paired with a rich sensitivity to color and light. Her contributions as an artist, author, instructor, and active member of multiple professional art societies highlight a career built on dedication, mastery, and a deep commitment to sharing knowledge. Today, she continues to expand her practice across mediums while remaining an influential and respected voice in the Northwest art community.
Barbara Benedetti Newton is an American artist whose lifelong dedication to color, craftsmanship, and creative reinvention has defined a career that spans illustration, colored pencil mastery, and luminous pastel work. Her journey reflects a deep commitment to artistic growth, shaped by personal resilience, technical discipline, and an enduring passion for sharing her knowledge with others.
Barbara Benedetti Newton (born 1943, Puyallup, Washington) is an acclaimed American artist celebrated for her expressive use of color across multiple mediums, including colored pencil, pastel, acrylic, and oil. She attended public school in Auburn, later completing studies at cosmetology school in Renton and the Burnley School of Professional Art—later known as the Art Institute of Seattle—where she trained under notable Northwest artist William Cumming. Newton began her professional journey in 1965 as a fashion illustrator for a major Seattle department store, developing a strong foundation in drawing, precision, and visual storytelling.
Her art career paused in 1974 when she and her husband William Iles purchased a farm on Vashon Island. For the next twenty years she devoted her creative energy to raising her children, running a flower-growing business, maintaining a flock of wool-breed sheep, and working at K2 Ski Corporation, where she progressed from factory work to Master Scheduler of Production and Buyer. In 1990, supported by her second husband Jay Newton, she returned to art full-time. Colored pencil became her primary medium for more than a decade, earning her national recognition and leading to the co-authorship of the Colored Pencil Solution Book in 2000. She later transitioned into pastel, a medium that allowed her to explore richer textures and color luminosity, resulting in her 2013 book Art Answers: Pastel Drawing.
Throughout her career, Newton has been featured in numerous art magazines and has exhibited widely across Washington State, with representation from respected regional galleries. She has served as an instructor at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle and the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Oregon, earning honors such as Charter Membership and past presidency of the Colored Pencil Society of America, Signature Memberships in several pastel societies, and Master Circle recognition from the International Association of Pastel Societies. Today, she continues her active studio practice on Vashon Island, working across mediums and sharing her knowledge through workshops, social media, and her Patreon community.