K.A.C. 2016 - T - 15 ...

     Good morning! When I am working on the K.A.C. each year, I'm always on the lookout for iconic Christmas images - and one of the most celebrated artists for the look of Vintage America of days gone by is none other than Norman Rockwell (1894 - 1978). Known mostly for his homey images from the covers of The Saturday Evening Post and Boy's Life (he had a working relationship with the Boy Scouts of America for most of his professional career), he also branched out to other magazines, calendars, etc., during his prolific years.

     I remember a number of his more famous holiday paintings and magazine covers and wondered if there was anything out there that had fallen through the cracks and not been seen for a number of years. And here it is! From December, 1967, the era of the Space Race, comes Sci-Fi Santa, complete with astronaut helmet (with mistletoe!) and harness on to help withstand those G-Forces as he's hurtling around the entire world in one night!   :)

     Now as we all know, when Santa gets to your house on Christmas Eve, you usually leave something for him on his travels, such as the traditional milk and cookies. Well, this year, don't leave Big Red just ANY old cookies ... leave him NORMAN ROCKWELL'S OWN cookies! We're nothing if not thorough here at the K.A.C. and, yes, we've uncovered his very own Oatmeal Cookie recipe (although I would say add chocolate chips or other ingredients to your liking) - here you go!

     

     

          Finally, should you ever be in the New England area, it is worth a visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum (located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts). In addition to seeing his studio where he created many of his most famous works, the Museum also houses (per the Wikipedia description): "574 original works of art by Rockwell (and) the Norman Rockwell Archives, a collection of over 100,000 various items, which include photographs, fan mail, and various business documents." 

     In addition to his own works, the Museum hosts a variety of other artistic events and exhibitions, including the current one going on now through May of 2017, all about the art and works of Hanna-Barbera and Saturday morning cartoons! Road Trip!  :)  As I wrote to my friend Mark while researching this article, "Norman Rockwell Meets Hanna-Barbera = Mind Blown!"

     And for further information on the Museum itself, here is the link to their home page:

     http://www.nrm.org/ 

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     Coming Tomorrow: A bit of a drastic comedown from today, as we unveil this year's edition of Sketchy Santas, Winter 'Blunderlands' and MORE!