Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Norman Rockwell Behind the Camera

Hi Everyone,

If you could have any super power what would it be?  Okay, I'm going to tell you mine, but don't think I'm too strange:)  I have always wished I could make myself invisible and be able to slip through walls in this state.  Why? you ask?  Because I love to see people's homes, how they decorate.   Maybe it goes back to my roots as an Interior Designer, but I just love taking a tours of homes.  So when I stumbled across this book "Norman Rockwell Behind the Camera", I was instantly interested.

This book gives you the inside scoop on how he set up his paintings.  His models and the stories he told in his paintings.  As the daughter of a photographer I always thought you wanted to spontaneously catch a moment, and that creeps into my thoughts on paintings sometimes.  However, one of my favorite things to do is set up a still life and photograph it.  So I just loved seeing Norman Rockwell's process. I'm sure this will have an influence on how I set up my paintings in the future.

I'd love to hear how you set up your paintings.  What does the behind the scenes look like in your artistic space?

Carrie

10 comments:

  1. Amazing!! you are a kindred spirit. I too have a background in interior design and LAST week i received a book that was my mother's of Norman Rockwell and was so moved by it. I was inspired to paint a holiday version of my girl "bravely waiting". It will be in a show next month. I'm amazed at our common interest! To answer your question, most of the time, I have a visual in my "minds eye" and then combine photos to help with perspective. A few pieces have been inspired solely by my heart and mind...which may explain my ultra-impressionism...but the joy it brings my soul to express it. Everyday...I have paintings I am inspired to paint, many never make it to canvas, but still I imagine what colors I would combined to paint a flower or any object of inspiration. Not sure if I answered your question. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Very interesting post. I love Rockwell's work. Seeing the photos next to his artwork makes me see how much more humor, passion and life he himself brought to his art.
    As for a "set up", I don't. I tend to be the sort with a camera or sketch book often with me. If I see something that wows me, I get some sort of reference right there. At home, I will do more work to create a sketch and painting - checking into the rest of my photos or a photo reference online, or doing more research on the subject.

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  3. Love it, Carrie! My set-ups are often precariously rigged to do the job! I need to work on that! Other times I work from several reference images and sketches, but the most successful pieces have been the ones I have clearly, visualized painted-and it happens just before I fall asleep!

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  4. I am currently preparing, setting up, collecting props for a new series of oil paintings. Tomorrow I hope to get the initial sketch on paper for the first painting ready to transfer to my canvas - and that's where the fun really starts! My art room looks like an attic at the moment - there are things everywhere. Gradually over time more and more clutter appears but I kind of like it. It is in total contrast for my home, which is always neat! :0)

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  5. Carrie . . . so funny you posted about this book . . . I stumbled across it about a month ago in Barnes and Noble and feel the same way as you. I'm so captivated by his work and process. This book is very inspiring and just plain awesome. Thanks for the post! :)

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  6. Carrie, great post. My still life paintings are done from life. I can spend up to 45 mins. rearranging the items, adding/subtracting colors and then sitting to ponder whether it works or not. Sometimes my setup time takes as long as the actual painting. I rarely take one photo that captures that perfect moment. So I just click away and almost always a painting will emerge from the most unlikely photo. I guess you'd call that a random system at best.

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  7. Oh, now. I want to buy another art book, and it's your fault! I've always loved Norman Rockwell's paintings. I recognize almost all of them in your examples. Comparing the photos to the finished paintings is fascinating. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Une publication plus qu'intéressante, mais interrogative!
    Je pense, en ce qui me concerne, que mon inconscient joue beaucoup avec mon environnement... Tout comme un jeu de cartes, je joue, en tirant au mieux celles qui dans ma mémoire m'émeut au moment où je crée...
    Gros bisous

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  9. Nice post Carrie. Norman Rockwell is one of my all-time favorite artist. I've had a chance to visit his museum in Stockbridge Mass, and peak through the window of his studio. A lot of his paintings hold an emotionnal baggage for me, a statement about the human condition. I've seen myself tear up when I'm standing in front of an original more than a few times.

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  10. Interesting post,Carrie.The book is wonderful.I hope that it is edited in Spain.

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