Explore the most impactful and insightful quotes and sayings by Norman Rockwell, and enrich your perspective with the wisdom. Share these inspiring Norman Rockwell quotes pictures with your friends on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or your personal blogs, completely free. Here are the top 43 Norman Rockwell quotes for you to read and share.
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
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
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
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
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. -- Norman Rockwell
I'm not going to be caught around here for any fool celebration. To hell with birthdays! -- 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. -- Norman Rockwell
It wouldn't be right for me to clown around when I'm painting a president. -- Norman Rockwell
How will I be remembered? As a technician or artist? As a humorist or a visionary? -- 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. -- 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. -- Norman Rockwell
Some folks think I painted Lincoln from life, but I haven't been around that long. Not quite. -- 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
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 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
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
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. -- 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. -- 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
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
The story is the first thing and the last thing, -- Norman Rockwell
Right from the beginning, I always strived to capture everything I saw as completely as possible. -- 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
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
A face in the picture would bother me, so I'd rub it out with the turpentine and do it over. -- 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
If the public dislikes one of my Post covers, I can't help disliking it myself. -- 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. -- 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. -- Norman Rockwell
You must first spend some time getting your model to relax. Then you'll get a natural expression. -- Norman Rockwell
I'll never have enough time to paint all the pictures I'd like to. -- 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
Here in New England, the character is strong and unshakable. -- Norman Rockwell
Commonplaces never become tiresome. It is we who become tired when we cease to be curious and appreciative. We find that it is not a new scene which is needed, but a new viewpoint. -- 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. -- 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'm the oldest antique in town. -- 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 keep the pornographic stuff in a bus station locker. -- Norman Rockwell
I paint life as I would like it to be, -- Norman Rockwell
I'm tired, but proud. -- Norman Rockwell
I work from fatigue to fatigue at my age there's only so much daylight left. -- Norman Rockwell
I just wanted to do something important. -- Norman Rockwell