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

Norman Rockwell

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Norman Rockwell
Age: 84 †
Born: 1894
Born: February 3
Died: 1978
Died: November 8
Artist
Illustrator
Painter
Photographer
Writer
New York City
New York
Norman Perceval Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell
Rockwell
Would
Excludes
Life
Sordid
Like
Pictures
Communicate
Ugly
Paint
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More quotes by Norman Rockwell

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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.
Norman Rockwell
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I'm tired, but proud.
Norman Rockwell
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I'm not going to be caught around here for any fool celebration. To hell with birthdays!
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I work from fatigue to fatigue at my age there's only so much daylight left.
Norman Rockwell
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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
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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.
Norman Rockwell
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How will I be remembered? As a technician or artist? As a humorist or a visionary?
Norman Rockwell
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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
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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
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You must first spend some time getting your model to relax. Then you'll get a natural expression.
Norman Rockwell
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I keep the pornographic stuff in a bus station locker.
Norman Rockwell
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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
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I paint life as I would like it to be.
Norman Rockwell
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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
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Commonplaces never become tiresome. It is we who become tired when we cease to be curious and appreciative.
Norman Rockwell
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If the public dislikes one of my Post covers, I can't help disliking it myself.
Norman Rockwell
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If there was sadness in this creative world of mine, it was a pleasant sadness. If there were problems, they were humorous problems.
Norman Rockwell
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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.
Norman Rockwell
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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
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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