The Norman Rockwell Museum and The Duchess

Have you ever been to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachussetts? If you are a fan of Rockwell or a fan of illustration in general, than make the trip sometime. The museum is world class. The galleries are large, beautifully lit and there are many of them. Most are filled with the very best of Rockwell's work and they are very impressive to see in the original. It's a beautiful museum in a gorgeous part of the country and well worth a visit.

As I mentioned, the NRM also focuses on the work of other artists as well and hosts events to help launch new books about and by contemporary illustrators.

Yes, you know where this is going, don't you?

Randall and I will be spending a couple of hours at the Rockwell on November 28th.,the Saturday after Thanksgiving, to give a little talk on the process of working together to create our book, The Duchess of Whimsy. The event will be absolutely kid friendly and will include a reading of the book and I'll be drawing some characters as well. I'm proud to say that there will be a little showing of my originals from The Duchess on exhibit, too. The idea for the talk and the exhibit arose pretty quickly, so the work will not be hanging in one of the formal galleries but in a more casual space near our presentation.

The museum has an excellent bookstore, which I'm proud to say will also have copies of A Sketchy Past, which I will be happy to sign for anyone who is interested.

One more bonus I should mention: Rockwell's final studio is situated on the grounds and available for viewing, just as he left it. It's always interesting to stand in a space you know one of your heroes stood and maybe screamed at the top of his lungs when a picture went badly.

Or is it only me that does that?