happy birthday, norman.

"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."

- norman rockwell

the beloved norman rockwell was born on this day in 1894, so today would have marked his 116th birthday. though stockbridge, ma is where he spent much of his life and where the official museum is located, he spent nearly 20 years of his life in arlington, vt and many consider these years to have been the most profound and fruitful of his career and where his work first began to reflect small town american life.

luckily, the berkshires haven't stolen all the rockwell fame. the norman rockwell museum in rutland, vt is the largest collection of his vermont works and magazine covers. and one of the norman's longtime friends and boy scout models, james "buddy" edgerton currently resides in south burlington, vt and recently co-authored a book of stories and recollections from his childhood entitled "the unknown rockwells"

so, thank you, norman for everything. and, if i may say so, i think, if you were still with us, you would be proud to be painting life in vermont, circa 2010.