Quotes by Norman Rockwell

About Norman Rockwell:

Norman Percevel Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over nearly five decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter, The Problem We All Live With, Saying Grace, and the Four Freedoms series. He also is noted for his 64-year relationship with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), during which he produced covers for their publication Boys' Life, calendars, and other illustrations. These works include popular images that reflect the Scout Oath and Scout Law such as The Scoutmaster, A Scout is Reverent, and A Guiding Hand among many others.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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 real...

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.

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

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

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.

Norman Rockwell

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

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

Norman Rockwell

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

Things aren't much wilder now, I don't think, than they were back then. Of course I just read about all the goings-on now. Ha.

Norman Rockwell

A face in the picture would bother me, so I'd rub it out with the turpentine and do it over.

Norman Rockwell

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

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

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

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

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

Norman Rockwell

I'm the oldest antique in town.

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.

Norman Rockwell

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 kid...

Norman Rockwell

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

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

Author Bio

  • NameNorman Rockwell
  • Descriptionpainter
  • BornFebruary 3, 1894
  • DiedNovember 8, 1978
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionPainter; Illustrator; Artist
  • WorksFreedom From Want; Freedom Of Speech; Freedom Of Worship
  • AwardsGuggenheim Fellowship