Harold Newton set the stage for the group of aspiring artists that would become known decades later as the Highwaymen. Born in Gifford, Florida, an African American community adjacent to Vero Beach, Newton spent his early years in Georgia. He developed an interest in art as a child and had some success producing and selling religious paintings locally. After returning to his family home in Gifford, Newton was introduced to the distinguished Florida landscape painter Albert E. Backus. Beginning in 1954 (and perhaps as early as 1953) Newton regularly visited Backus and learned from him painting techniques and Florida landscape motifs. By the late 1950s Newton was a professional artist, prolifically painting his own interpretations of the Florida landscape and selling his work door-to-door throughout the state. With innate talent and drive, his success was immediate. His example as an artist of exceptional quality and energetic entrepreneurship inspired others to emulate him and pursue their own artistic ambitions.