Norman Rockwell
"Summer Time and the Living is Easy" A great song by Sam Cooke in it's slower version. Although the kid in this Norman Rockwell painting, "The Joys of Summer" may disagree? The distressed look of being lost on a crowded beach, Ice-cream rapidly melting down his hands even to include a sunburned shoulder and band-aid on his finger. Rockwell didn't just drop a picture in front of us he captured feeling, sensation, and depicted a true summer experience. He told Stories through his paintings.
American Author Painter
Norman Perceval Rockwell was an American author, painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over nearly five decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter, The Problem We All Live With, Saying Grace, and the Four Freedoms series. He is also noted for his 64-year relationship with the Boy Scouts of America, during which he produced covers for their publication Boys' Life, calendars, and other illustrations. These works include popular images that reflect the Scout Oath and Scout Law such as The Scoutmaster, A Scout is Reverent and A Guiding Hand, among many others.
As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be an artist.
I have enjoyed art as far back as I can remember. I grew up surrounded by it at home as my father was a fine artist as well. Let me take you back to the beginning. In 1972 at the age of five years old I remember waking early on Saturday mornings to watch a show on public television titled “Drawing from Nature with Captain Bob Cottle”. He was an artist who would encourage children to draw along with him step by step with crayons on a large sketch pad. It was always some form of wildlife or nature study; Insects, rainbow trout, seagulls, whales, squirrels and so forth. He sported an old captain’s hat and bore a very strong Rhode Island accent. I can still hear his theme music playing a style of sea shanty through a harmonica note for note. It was instructional and fun. Looking back, I think it’s fair to say he was my very first Art instructor but there were others.
Now with the Captain Bob television show influencing me, not to mention the tremendous influence my father’s art had on my life as well my kindergarten teacher took notice one day that I had some sort of creative spark. At John Ashley elementary school during art time I once chose to color a picture of my back yard. I colored the grass red and sky purple prompting my Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Papentonis to ask, “You do know the sky is blue and the grass is green right John?” My response was, “Yes, but this is my world and I like the sky purple, it looks good with the red grass.” She agreed probably being relieved I wasn’t color blind. I used to love to draw from books and always took a strong interest in art class and projects in grade school. One book I found particularly helpful was “How to draw animals”. It showed you step by step how to draw any animal from a series of ovals, circles and squares. I continually checked it out of the school library. From first grade to sixth grade I was considered the class artist and was involved in school projects and plays often painting trees and props.
When entering my junior year of High school, I met another influential person in my art world my art teacher Mrs. Barbara Ostrowski or as everyone called her, Mrs. O. She was free spirited and encouraged students to experiment with different mediums and also follow their individual strengths. This new sense of freedom allowed me to explore other avenues of art without being forced into them. She saw I had a strong attention for details and fine lines and encouraged me to attempt some pen and ink work. I was just starting a extremely detailed pencil sketch of an axe wielding barbarian and she said I should do it in pen and ink or to be more precise, pointillism. Pointillism or stippling is the production of continuous graduations of light and shade through the use of small, discrete dots or strokes. This could take years to do or so I thought, and the idea of attempting it scared me from a fear of failure. I was comfortable within the confines of my pencil sketching shell. I was impressed by the technique however and two of my class mates, Amy and Gregg who both worked in this medium with great success. I chose to sit and study how they worked and realized it wasn’t that far from shading with a pencil. If you want a darker area in pencil you need only apply more pressure to the surface and keep the strokes close together. In stippling you need to keep the dots closely grouped for darker area gradually spacing them further apart for lighter values. I worked relentlessly on this over my Christmas break and blew my teacher away when I returned with it finished. Thanks Mrs. O for encouraging me to try something new and allowing me the freedom to explore and grow with it. Now I had a new whole world to explore and for the next two years you could say I was seeing nothing but spots! She also encouraged me to paint with acrylics and watercolors but I saw no future in that for me.
My years in college taught me fundamentals yet I had no instructor that lit my fire or whom inspired to go further. My path was mine to take at this point but always thinking back and thanking Captain Bob, my first art teacher. My Father was no doubt my biggest influence towards art but I feel that's a better topic for next months edition.
Latest Paintings :
Dog Faced Puffer fish 11x14 acrylics.
The Arothron Dog Face Puffer, also known as the Blackspotted Puffer, gets its name from its resemblance to canines. It changes appearance during different stages of life. While in the gray phase, it is gray with black markings around the mouth, eyes, and dorsal fin. The pectoral fins have a yellow appearance. The half-yellow phase is denoted by a yellow underbelly and dark gray overcoat, while the face looks similar to the gray phase. It may also have black spots over the body, which may be gray or yellow.
The Arothron Dog Face Puffer lacks pelvic fins, but is very maneuverable, using its pectoral, dorsal, and anal fins. Instead of "teeth," it has a fused beak-like structure which it uses to crush prey.
I have a lengthy list of marine animals I've never ventured to paint and find the 11x14 inch size is best to represent certain subjects. Somewhere down the road I would love to combine everything I've painted into one gigantic wall mural in the right location? Another project for the bucket list.
🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥 🌴 🥥
A little something different this month with the Summer heat and Holidays throughout I thought it be nice to share some different refreshments for age 21+ only.
Any of the above cocktails are sure to provide that cold refreshing addition to any summer party. As always please drink responsibly.
Oh those nostalgic Summers:
The dog days of summer are upon us with occasional heat waves, summer storms, and finding ways to stay cool. Growing up in New England most every summer we had a family vacation to the beach scheduled. Living in Massachusetts we some how became regulars to Misquamicut State Beach in Rhode Island. We took many day trips, a few weekend visits and once a week long house rental with a bunch of family with us. Back in 1980 my parents discovered Hampton beach in New Hampshire with a huge boardwalk and better accommodations than earlier in the week at a different location. Now my wife and I try to get to the beach every summer just recently taking a relaxing but all too brief vacation to Old Orchard beach, Maine. Ogunquit Maine is a beautiful town and beach and our favorite place to visit and perhaps one day on a permanent location. I guess my point is memories formed in our childhood we choose to indulge over and over into adulthood. Like that poor kid in the picture above sometimes the beach is hot, crowded, and cumbersome but there's something about that scent of salt air off of the ocean that cant be replicated. For me it heals the soul from within. August is the busiest month for vacationers in New England so please drive safely, be considerate to others and keep the beaches clean.
The Sea, she calls us home...
Thank you to the West Springfield Public Library
The month-long July exhibit was a great experience. I received some very positive responses and found it to be a great location for local exposure. This kicks off a long list of venues to come but I wanted to start in my home town first. Next exhibit will be the month of September at the Enfield Public Library in Connecticut. I am considering doing another home show in September as well with some reduced prices on some non-marine life subjects. More to follow on both in next month's edition.
As I close out this month's edition, I give you a sneak peek at my basement studio or as I like to refer to it as Davey Jones's Locker. It's rough, rustic and dingy but suits my needs perfectly .. well almost? As always, I thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter and find out a little more about me and my artwork. My goal is to share with you the Where, when, and how to see my art in person. Please feel free to share this with your friends and family and please comment on this month so I know you were here. Have a safe and fantastic finish too your summer.
Thank you all,
John Matlock
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