Newspapers / The Echo (Pisgah Forest, … / Dec. 1, 1951, edition 1 / Page 5
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care a whit for the calendar if he felt Christmas coming on.” The uncle, Rockwell recalled, had a fancy for popping into the Rockwell household in March or July "or any odd Thursday with a booming 'Merry Christmas,’ an armload of presents and a turkey or goose.” He would brush aside all ob jections from Norman’s mother, distribute his gifts, help operate all the toys, and do full justice to the ensuing dinner. "To this day,” said the illustrator, "I am not sure whether he really imagined it was Christmas or just wanted it to be. But it was a wonderful idea.” Rockwell was fifteen when he entered the Art Students League to receive his first formal art edu cation. He had abandoned high school after one year and was attending the National Academy of Design in the morning, the League in the after noon. Later he studied at the Chase School as well. He earned his first commission at 17, illustrat ing a children’s book called, "Tell Me Why Stories.” Soon he was illustrating stories in youth magazines and shortly thereafter was named art editor of "Boy’s Life”. At 22, when he painted his first Christmas cover illustration, he was a veteran with five years of professional work behind him. "In Vermont, Rockwell has hardly to move from his own studio to find the Christmas characters and scenes he paints so movingly. The mailman, the carpenter, the school teacher, and dozens of Arlington children all pose for him more than willingly. Village square dances are held almost on his front lawn. And he re-reads annually the Charles Dickens and Washington Irving Christ mas stories, of which he is immensely fond, to create mentally one of the old-time Christmas set tings for which he is noted. Sentimentalist or realist, Rockwell loves Christ mas and enjoys it as few men are capable of do ing. Certainly few men have contributed more to making Christmas for others the merry and mag ical season that it is. 'BRINGING HOAiE THE TREE" shown on facing page, was painted from Rockwell’s recol lection of a trip with his own boys in search of a Christmas tree. "THE CHRISTMAS CAROLER”, left, was Clar ence Decker, a neighbor lad in Arlington, Vt. Below is "HOLIDAY DANCE” and “THE JOL LY POSTMAN”. These paintings are typical Rockwell touches.
The Echo (Pisgah Forest, N.C.)
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Dec. 1, 1951, edition 1
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