The Evening Post

Now that we’ve all filled ourselves to the brim with turkey, sweet potatoes, and pie galore, we all know it ‘tis the season to be jolly. Along with the many Christmas songs and festive activities, I’m always reminded of a certain artist in the holiday cheer. For as long as I can remember, Norman Rockwell has been one of my favorite artists. Whenever I think of his work, an image of a jolly Santa pops into my head. I suppose this is due to the pieces of his that I saw as a kid. I now know that he his painting repertoire expands much farther than old Saint Nick, but I still like to consider Norman Rockwell my ‘Christmas artist.’
Best known for his 322 Saturday Evening Post cover illustrations, Rockwell became a 20th century American icon. He painted everything from Santa Clause to racial segregation. His realistic style is easy for the viewer to connect to. For instance, in the painting at the right, a day-in-the-life scene is depicted. The young girl sits upright on her stool, proudly showing off her flowers to the waiter across the counter. The anxious hours before for this night seem to have paid off; her date, sits, turned completely towards her, and smiles proudly. The viewer can sympathize with the youthful excitement hanging over the scene. Even the man on the other side of the girl grins as if remembering those youthful years of his own.
In my search to find something to write about for this week’s blog post, I looked through student artwork from the Ringling School of Art and Design. My inspiration came from Francis Vallejo’s The Sagging Evening Post. I was blown away by the creativity displayed in this work. Two ever so different men stand side by side. One, a member of the i-think-im-so-cool-because-my-pants-are-about-to-fall-off clan, and the other can’t seem to pull up his pants enough. Yet, both look at each other in distain, for they are certain that their pant-wearing ways are the best. It’s up to the viewer to make the laborious decision of: “to sag or not to sag?” Whatever the verdict, I think all would agree on the immense talent displayed in this piece of work. Similar to Rockwell, Francis Vallejo portrays the figures in a realistic, yet somewhat exaggerated style. Their brushstrokes are smooth and connected and the shading and hues used are accurate. Most important, both artists draw the viewer into their work by displaying scenes that one can connect too.