About the artist

I create emotionally charged oil paintings that explore the unspoken depths of human experience through color and gesture. 

My work is rooted in strong emotion and the fleeting, ineffable moments that define our shared human experience. I strive to express feelings that live beyond words — sensations that emerge in the space between thought and expression.

Using high-pigment oil paint, I create immersive color environments that evoke raw emotional states. Each piece begins with an animated gesture that I feel holds vivid energy and often an undercurrent of pain — not to be judged, but accepted as a vital part of being alive. These works reflect universal feelings of angst, joy, and confusion, resonating through the physicality of paint.

I often explore the body through portraits, animals or self-portraits, focusing on isolated parts as a portal into the internal world. My paintings arise from the silent language of thought, aiming to capture what dissolves when we try to speak it. Background colors are key in shaping the emotional pitch, creating tension, contrast, and a sense of narrative.

My process is a blend of deliberate structure and intuitive movement. Through the interplay of color, form, and emotion, I seek to create moments of recognition — where something unspoken becomes suddenly visible, and the quiet truth of feeling can be fully seen.




Marsha Newby is a Canadian oil painter recognized for her vibrant use of color and emotionally charged figurative work. Her paintings are defined by sensuous hues and a striking emotional intensity that creates an immediate, visceral connection with the viewer. Collectors are drawn to the depth of feeling her work evokes, seeking pieces that resonate on a profoundly human level.

A graduate of the University of Guelph (B.A. in Fine Art), Newby developed a distinctive color language inspired by the emotional gravity of Mark Rothko and the classical precision of artists like Leonardo da Vinci. Her practice explores the dynamic interplay between movement and emotion, often through intimate portrayals of the human form.

In recent years, Newby has exhibited widely across Canada and internationally, with highlights including shows at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Canadian Federation of Artists in Vancouver, and multiple group exhibitions in Toronto and southern Ontario. Her work was recently featured in a residency and exhibition at La Macina di San Cresci in Tuscany, Italy (Fall 2024), and she previously completed a residency in Nova Scotia (2023).

Now working from a larger studio, Newby is entering a new phase focused on ambitious, large-scale paintings that push her exploration of color and emotion even further.

  • 2026:

    Northern Contemporary Gallery, Toronto, ON. 'Pretty In Pink' Group Show July 2-14th

    Dundas Valley School of Art Annual Auction: April 6th - 12th, 5 paintings featured.

    2025:

    SWARM, Hamilton Artists Inc., 155 James St. N., Hamilton. Group show, December 6th - January 11th, 2026.

    Surcee, Back Alley Gallery, Hamilton, ON: Group Show November 29-January 9th

    ‘The Spaces Between, Cotton Factory, Hamilton, ON: Group Show, September 15th- October 15th

    Art Circuit Hamilton: October 3rd - November 16th

    ‘The Beauty Of Uncertainty’, Cotton Factory, Hamilton, ON: Group show, September 26th - November 15th

    White Galleon Gallery, Niagara Square Foot Show, St. Catherine’s, ON.: Group Show, July 5 - August 30

    Northern Contemporary Gallery, Toronto, ON. 'All The Small Things' Group Show June 4-18th

    Dundas Valley School of Art Annual Auction: March 31-April 6th, 5 paintings featured.

    2024:

    2024: December 6th - January 11th, 2025. SWARM, Hamilton Artists Inc., 155 James St. N., Hamilton. Group show.

    2024: November 16 - December 13th, 2024: Jackalope Gallery, Toronto, ON. Group show. Online to Feburary 16th, 2025

    2024: November 30, 2024 - January 8th, 2025: The Back Alley Gallery, Group Show, Hamilton, ON

    2024: Artist Residency: La Macina Di San Cresci, Tuscany, Italy September 23- October 7th

    2024: La Macina Di San Cresci, Greve, Italy. October group show.

    2024: Back Alley Gallery, Hamilton, ON. September 6th - October 8th. Group show

    2024: 'Periwinkle' Show at the MERIT Brewing Company, 107 James St. N., Hamilton, ON, June 14 to August 11th

    2024: Northern Contemporary Gallery, Toronto, ON. 'All The Small Things' Group Show June 6-18th

    2024: Social Space pop-up art event, 8 Cottage Avenue, Hamilton, ON. May 3-5th

    2024 John Mann Gallery, 13th Street Winery, St. Catherines. Square Foot Group Show, February 10- April 13, 3 @ 12” x 12” paintings featured.

    2024: Dundas Valley School Of Art Annual Auction, April 1-7th, 3 paintings featured

    2023: Hamilton Artists Inc. Group Exhibition, December 1 - January 13, 2024

    2023 Supercrawl - Hamilton Arts + Music: Monday Press, 288 James St. North Group Show

    2023 Dundas Valley School of Art, Dundas, ON: 52nd Art Auction, Group Show

    2022 Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, ON: Group Exhibition ‘The Bigger Picture’, September - December 2022)Current:

  • Toronto exhibition highlights include:

    Toronto Outdoor Art Show for several years

    Gallery 312, Joint show

    The Work Gallery, Solo show

    Boise Gallery, Joint show

    Teadora Art Gallery, 

    Meat Market Gallery, Group show

  • Hammer Gallery, Solo show (2)

    Lance Court Gallery (Burlington), Solo show.

    Bauhaus Gallery, Solo show

    Grant Gallery, Solo show

    Le Petit Poulet Gallery, Solo show

    Tivoli Gallery, Group show

    Art Gallery of Hamilton, Group show

    Burlington Cultural Centre, Group show

    Terra Nova Gallery, Group show

    Planetree Gallery (Burlington), Group show