Art for hire

Re-Framing a Norman Rockwell Concept Sketch

Recently, this Norman Rockwell concept sketch came into the shop to be re-framed. Rockwell would rough sketch a proposed painting, present it to a potential client, and solicit feedback. Hopefully, he would be awarded the project, complete the piece, get paid, and then move on to the next project.

Does the fact that an artist is directed what to paint diminish the art itself? Not at all. Artists who can support themselves solely through their creative output are rare. Taking on commissioned projects is only a small step from being a full-time commercial illustrator. The final result might not always be the artist's first choice, but finding opportunities to be creative within the boundaries of a client's expectations requires a unique skill set and artistic maturity.

This brings us to an exciting upcoming exhibit that was just finalized this week. The working title (subject to change) is "Tough Guys and Tough Cookies." It will showcase original art used for pulp magazine covers, which often depict dramatic scenes with someone in peril. This sub-genre of illustration art required artists to be efficient and productive. The paychecks were smaller than those of their peers, but it allowed them to make a living creating art.

This marks the third consecutive year we've had the pleasure of collaborating with Grapefruit Moon Gallery. The first two shows (original pin-up art and original Cream of Wheat art) were very successful. This exhibit will be a bit different but consistent with our mission of presenting 20th-century illustration art and its various subsets. More details will be shared next week.