Mistletoe and a Milky Way c. 1961

Norman Rockwell made "Mistletoe and a Milky Way" with paint on, likely, illustration board, and just look at the creamy color. It's like he mixed it himself with milk! The way Rockwell’s lines define the children’s features is so smooth, it's almost like he was painting on silk. You can see how each brushstroke builds up the form, especially in the boy’s mischievous eyebrow and the girl’s wispy braid, the colors are opaque and you can't see the layers underneath. It’s like he’s inviting us into this little scene with a mix of tenderness and humor, right? The whole illustration reminds me a bit of early Wayne Thiebaud, another artist who knew how to make the ordinary feel extraordinary. Like Thiebaud, Rockwell plays with light and shadow to give depth and weight to a playful moment, capturing the charm of childhood in a way that feels both timeless and immediate. Ultimately, “Mistletoe and a Milky Way” is a sweet reminder that art, like mistletoe and chocolate, thrives on ambiguity and unexpected pairings.