Rockwell's Baseball Players

Norman Rockwell could always capture the essence of young boys playing ball,

(Rockwell's painting of some boys convincing workers to not take out their ball field. The conversation meaningfully taking place at 'Home Plate'- the ownership of the land is obvious; The rag tag boys!)

tattered shoes with blown out pants around the knee area;

belts holding up pants that were most likely an older brothers hand-me-downs that were too big.

(SAFE!!!! E.Stealin' home)


So there Rockwell's boy would be; a ruffled, cinched pant top, shirt half tucked in and a face that was exactly depicted from a real model. With added smudges of dirt,

(L. fielding)

a bruised eye, puffy lip, freckles and most often a lanky red head would be there- on the canvas- to stop time and create nastalgia for generations to come.

Watching boys play baseball always makes me think of Norman and I hope to "catch" that scene he would have caught with his paint brush.

(Number 10 is using his scout belt to hold those big pants up. Classic. And totally endearing to his mother)

These photos of mine are just attempts of Rockwell's work. I Would rather Padre come and take them. As I am not willing to learn about aperture at the moment. And I cannot paint. So here it is in its imperfection.

But my heart tries to grasp those moments that fly by quick as a wink and before you know it- they are not boys anymore.

Boys that I have grown to love as they have grown with each season of the next sport in their lives.

And finally...

FATHER & SON- how much more American can this get?? And the smile on S's face, mirroring his Dad's pride- timeless. Wish Rockwell could come to these games and paint for me.