Norman Rockwell Quotes
"Right from the beginning, I always strived to capture everything I saw as completely as possible."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Beginning, Right)
"Some folks think I painted Lincoln from life, but I haven't been around that long. Not quite."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Life)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Art, Life, Work, People, Artist, Difference)
"Here in New England, the character is strong and unshakable."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Character, England)
"You must first spend some time getting your model to relax. Then you'll get a natural expression."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Time, Expression, First, Relax)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: American, Country, Extravagance, Now, Painting, Years)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Adventure, Artists, Living, Painting)
"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!"
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Old)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Life, Discontent, Europe, Eyes, Sea)
"It wouldn't be right for me to clown around when I'm painting a president."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Painting, President, Right)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: God, Paris, Sense)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Age, Life, End, Hell, Intention, Rest, Road, Security)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Time, Famous, Painting)
"It was a pretty rough neighborhood where I grew up The really tough places were over around Third Avenue where it ran into the Harlem River, but we weren't far away."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Pretty)
"A face in the picture would bother me, so I'd rub it out with the turpentine and do it over."
- Norman Rockwell
"No man with a conscience can just bat out illustrations. He's got to put all his talent and feeling into them!"
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Talent, Conscience, Feeling, Man)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Now, Worth)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Women, Mother, Silly)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Expression, Order, Personality, Talk, Talking)
"I'll never have enough time to paint all the pictures I'd like to."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Time)
"I'm not going to be caught around here for any fool celebration. To hell with birthdays!"
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Fool, Hell)
"I'm the oldest antique in town."
- 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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Actor, Sun)
"I'm tired, but proud."
- Norman Rockwell
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Art, Students)
"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."
- Norman Rockwell
(Related: Love, People, Letters)