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Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell Books

Writer

A renowned American painter, illustrator, and writer, Norman Rockwell is known for his depictions of American life. His works typically portray the everyday life of the American middle class, filled with warmth and optimism.

Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evenin...

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Norman Rockwell's people

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Norman Rockwell, My Adventures as an Il...

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Norman Rockwell: Mini Masterpieces

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Norman Rockwell: My Adventures As an Il...

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Norman Rockwell: pictures for the Ameri...

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Related Quotes

“I unconsciously decided that, even if it wasn't an ideal world, it should be so and painted only the ideal aspects of it - pictures in which there are no drunken slatterns or self-centered mothers . . . only foxy grandpas who played baseball with kids and boys who fished from logs and got up circuses in the back yard.”

Art Kids Boys Fishing Idealism Circus Grandpa Ideal World Back Yard

Author:Norman Rockwell

“Some people have been kind enough to call me a fine artist. I've always called myself an illustrator. I'm not sure what the difference is. All I know is that whatever type of work I do, I try to give it my very best. Art has been my life.”

People Knows Giving Trying Kind Has Beens Art Enough Artist Differences Fine Type Profession Not Sure Call Me Fine Arts Illustrators Fine Artists Best Art

Book:Norman Rockwell: Mini Masterpieces

Source: Norman Rockwell: Mini Masterpieces

“I unconsciously decided that, even if it wasn't an ideal world, it should be. So I painted only the ideal aspects of it - pictures in which there are no drunken slatterns or self-centered mothers... only foxy grandpas who played baseball with the kids and boys who fished from logs and got up circuses in the backyard.”

Ifs World Should Self Kids Mother Boys Aspect Ideals Decided Baseball Idealism Circus Self Centered Backyards Grandpa Ideal World

Author:Norman Rockwell

“You must first spend some time getting your model to relax. Then you'll get a natural expression.”

Firsts Natural Expression Models Relax

Author:Norman Rockwell

“If the public dislikes one of my Post covers, I can't help disliking it myself.”

Ifs I Can Helping Posts Dislike

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I work from fatigue to fatigue at my age there's only so much daylight left.”

Age Left Fatigue Daylight

Book:Norman Rockwell: My Adventures As an Illustrator

Source: Norman Rockwell: My Adventures As an Illustrator

“Everyone in those days expected that art students were wild, licentious characters. We didn't know how to be, but we sure were anxious to learn.”

Knows Art Character Artist Know How Students Expected Anxious Art Students

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I talk as I sketch, too, in order to keep their minds off what I'm doing so I'll get the most natural expression I can from them. Also, the talking helps to size up the subject's personality, so I can figure out better how to portray him.”

Mind I Can Helping Artist Order Natural Talking Subjects Figures Expression Personality Size

Author:Norman Rockwell

“It wouldn't be right for me to clown around when I'm painting a president.”

Artist President Painting Clown

Author:Norman Rockwell

“The Balopticon [a machine that projects photos on canvas to trace the lines] is an evil, inartistic, habit-forming, lazy and vicious machine! It also is a useful, time-saving, practical and helpful one. I use one often-and am thoroughly ashamed of it. I hide it whenever I hear people coming.”

People Use Evil Lines Habit Projects Machines Practicals Saving Ashamed Lazy Helpful Canvas Vicious

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I used to sit in the studio with a copy of the (Saturday Evening) Post laid across my knees ... And then I'd conjure up a picture of myself as a famous illustrator and gloat over it, putting myself in various happy situations, surrounded by admiring females, deferred to by office flunkies at the magazines, wined and dined by the editor.”

Used Situation Office Female Various Studios Magazines Evening Posts Knees Over It Copies Editors Saturday Admiring Illustrators Pictures Of Myself Saturday Evening

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I know of no painless process for giving birth to a picture idea. When I must produce, I retire to a quiet room with a supply of cheap paper and sharp pencils; my brain knows it's going to take a beating.”

Knows Giving Ideas Process Rooms Brain Produce Birth Quiet Paper Retiring Pencils Giving Birth Painless Quiet Room Sharp Pencils

Book:Norman Rockwell's people

Source: Norman Rockwell's people

“I keep the pornographic stuff in a bus station locker.”

Stuff Stations Bus Lockers

Author:Norman Rockwell

“The '20s ended in an era of extravagance, sort of like the one we're in now. There was a big crash, but then the country picked itself up again, and we had some great years. Those were the days when American believed in itself. I was happy and proud to be painting it.”

Years Country Bigs Artist Painting Proud Eras Crash Extravagance Great Year

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I'm not going to be caught around here for any fool celebration. To hell with birthdays!”

Hell Fool Caught Birthday Celebration

Author:Norman Rockwell

“Here in New England, the character is strong and unshakable.”

Character Strong England New England Unshakable

Author:Norman Rockwell

“When I go to farms or little towns, I am always surprised at the discontent I find. And New York, too often, has looked across the sea toward Europe. And all of us who turn our eyes away from what we have are missing life.”

Littles Eye Artist Turns Sea Missing New York Europe Towns Farms Discontent Little Towns

Author:Norman Rockwell

“Right from the beginning, I always strived to capture everything I saw as completely as possible.”

Artist Saws Capture

Author:Norman Rockwell

“Eisenhower had about the most expressive face I ever painted, I guess. Just like an actor's. Very mobile. When he talked, he used all the facial muscles. And he had a great, wide mouth that I liked. When he smiled, it was just like the sun came out.”

Faces Used Artist Actors Sun Mouths Wide Muscles Mobile Expressive Facial

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I didn't know what to expect from a famous movie star; maybe that he'd be sort of stuck-up, you know. But not Gary Cooper. He horsed around so much... that I had a hard time painting him.”

Knows Hard Artist Stars Painting Stuck Hard Times Movie Star Gary Stuck Up

Author:Norman Rockwell

“Commonplaces never become tiresome. It is we who become tired when we cease to be curious and appreciative.”

Tired Appreciation Cease Curious Commonplace Appreciative Tiresome

Book:Norman Rockwell: pictures for the American people

Source: Norman Rockwell: pictures for the American people

“The secret to so many artists living so long is that every painting is a new adventure. So, you see, they're always looking ahead to something new and exciting. The secret is not to look back.”

“I'm tired, but proud.”

Proud Tired Be Proud I'm Tired

Book:Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post

Source: Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post

“If a picture wasn't going very well I'd put a puppy dog in it, always a mongrel, you know, never one of the full bred puppies. And then I'd put a bandage on its foot... I liked it when I did it, but now I'm sick of it.”

Ifs Knows Wells Feet Dog Sick Puppy Puppy Dog Bandages

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I just wanted to do something important.”

Important Wanted

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I paint life as I would like it to be.”

Book:Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post

Source: Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post

“Some folks think I painted Lincoln from life, but I haven't been around that long. Not quite.”

Thinking Long Artist Havens Folks

Author:Norman Rockwell

“If a picture wasn't going very well, I'd put a puppy in it.”

Ifs Wells Puppy

Author:Norman Rockwell

“No man with a conscience can just bat out illustrations. He's got to put all his talent and feeling into them!”

Men Feelings Talent Conscience Bats Illustration

Author:Norman Rockwell

“The view of life I communicate in my pictures excludes the sordid and ugly. I paint life as I would like it to be.”

Views Paint Communicate Ugly

Book:Norman Rockwell, My Adventures as an Illustrator: An Autobiography

Source: Norman Rockwell, My Adventures as an Illustrator: An Autobiography

“Very interesting for an old duffer like me to try his hand at something new. If I don't do that once in a while, I might just turn into a fossil, you know!”

Ifs Knows Trying Hands Might Turns Interesting Like Me Something New Fossils Very Interesting

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I'm still about as pigeon-toed as you can get. But I learned to manage pretty well on a bike. Should have had a bicycle then, when I was a kid, but our family didn't have the money for such luxuries. I saved up to buy one myself a few years later.”

Should Years Wells Stills Kids Should Have Saved Manage Luxury Our Family Bike Bicycle Pigeons

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I learned to draw everything except glamorous women. No matter how much I tried to make them look sexy, they always ended up looking silly... or like somebody's mother.”

Looks Matter Mother Artist Stupid Draws Sexy Silly Glamorous Sexiness

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I'm the oldest antique in town.”

Artist Towns Antiques

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I had a couple of million dollars' worth of... stock once. And now it's not worth much more than wallpaper. I guess I just wasn't born to be rich.”

Born Millions Rich Couple Dollars Million Dollars

Author:Norman Rockwell

“Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed. My fundamental purpose is to interpret the typical American. I am a story teller.”

Thinking Stories Might America Purpose Term Too Much Fundamentals Typical Thinking Too Much

Author:Norman Rockwell

“The remarks about my reaching the age of Social Security and coming to the end of the road, they jolted me. And that was good. Because I sure as hell had no intention of just sitting around for the rest of my life. So I'd whip out the paints and really go to it.”

Ends Age Artist Social Hell Security Sitting Intention Paint Reaching Social Security Remarks Whips Sitting Around End Of The Road

Author:Norman Rockwell

“Travel is like a tonic to me. It's more than just getting away from the studio for a brief rest. I need it to recharge my batteries.”

Needs Studios Get Away Batteries

Author:Norman Rockwell

“I can take a lot of pats on the back. I love it when I get admiring letters from people. And, of course, I'd love it if the critics would notice me, too.”

People Ifs I Can Artist Courses Letters Critics Admiring Notice Me

Author:Norman Rockwell

“How will I be remembered? As a technician or artist? As a humorist or a visionary?”

Artist Remembered Visionaries Humorists Technicians

Author:Norman Rockwell

“If there was sadness in this creative world of mine, it was a pleasant sadness. If there were problems, they were humorous problems.”

Ifs World Problem Creative Sadness Mines Humorous Pleasant

Book:Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post

Source: Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post

“I'll never have enough time to paint all the pictures I'd like to.”

Enough Paint Enough Time

Author:Norman Rockwell

“The story is the first thing and the last thing.”

Firsts Stories Lasts

Author:Norman Rockwell

“My best efforts were some modern things that looked like very lousy Matisses. Thank God I had the sense to realize they were lousy, and leave Paris.”

Humor Artist Realizing Effort Modern Paris Thank God Discernment Best Effort Matisse

Author:Norman Rockwell

About the Author

Born: February 3, 1894
Died: November 8, 1978
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 44

Related Topics

Artist Ifs Knows Paint Painting Art I Can Illustrators Kids People

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening PostRelated source material

Norman Rockwell's peopleRelated source material

Norman Rockwell, My Adventures as an Illustrator: An AutobiographyRelated source material

Norman Rockwell: Mini MasterpiecesRelated source material

Norman Rockwell: My Adventures As an IllustratorRelated source material

Norman Rockwell: pictures for the American peopleRelated source material

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