Norman Rockwell Quotes

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.

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.

I paint life as I would like it to be.

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

I just wanted to do something important.

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

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

The story is the first thing and the last thing.

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

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

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.

I'm the oldest antique in town.

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.

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

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

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

I'm tired, but proud.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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

I keep the pornographic stuff in a bus station locker.

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