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Gary Harbour, an artist encouraged in his pursuit of art by none other than Norman Rockwell, has now turned to scrimshaw. This is one of the wildlife scenes he has carved.
Thursday, May 01

BENNINGTON, Vt. - When Gary Harbour was 8 years old, he won a statewide art contest judged by Norman Rockwell.

"All the kids in class had to submit a painting of their interpretation of the maple syrup industry in Vermont. I won the school contest. And then the district competition," he said. "And, lo and behold, I won the state contest."

Norman Rockwell was the judge of the state competition, which was held at the University of Vermont in Burlington. After all these years, Harbour still recalls the story vividly.

Upon Rockwell's return to his home in West Arlington, he was talking with his neighbor and model, Clarence Decker. In the course of conversation, Decker asked what Rockwell had been up to. Rockwell replied that he had just gotten back from judging an art contest and, in fact, a kid from Bennington had won.

Decker asked, "Oh yea? Who was it? I know everybody in Bennington."

Rockwell told him it was Gary Harbour.

Decker said, "I know that kid and his family. In fact, we are best friends. We have Sunday supper together every week."

Rockwell said, "Tell them the kid has talent, and they should start him painting with oils."

Decker said, "You

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don't understand. There's no money for oil paints."

The next week, Norman Rockwell presented the 8-year-old Harbor with a basket he had painted red and filled with paints and brushes.

"Can you imagine how that made me feel? To have someone you idolized say you had talent? Then for him to take the time and trouble to paint the basket?" Harbour said. "He even painted my name on it. And to have Norman Rockwell's old paint brushes!"

'I just painted'

From that day on, there was nothing else for Harbour.

"My goal was always art. I started painting anything and everything. I would paint on rocks, old barn boards, anything. I just painted. My wife says I'll paint on anything that wouldn't run away from me. I feel free to paint whatever I want. It's fun."

Harbour's parents were not artists themselves, but they both remained extremely supportive.

"My mother did paint antique porcelain doll faces," he said.

Rockwell also continued his encouragement and support. In 1960, Rockwell's book "My Adventures as an Illustrator" was published. That same summer, Harbour worked digging graves to save money. After standing in line at Rockwell's book signing, he finally reached Rockwell's table. Without looking up, Rockwell asked, "What name?"

To which Harbour replied, "Gary Harbour."

Rockwell then looked up and said, "Gary! You don't want this book."

He then took Harbour's copy and threw the book on a stack with other books. This was the copy Harbour had spent all summer digging graves to earn enough for and then stood in line to buy.

'Kind and generous man'

Rockwell then reached under the table and presented Harbour with a numbered limited edition copy. He signed the bookplate, "Best Wishes to Gary Harbour, Norman Rockwell."

Years later, in 1976, a retrospect of Rockwell's work was published. Rockwell was in ill health at the time, but he still mailed Harbour a copy with the corresponding number and bookplate and with the same inscription. Both books are first editions.

"Norman Rockwell was a kind and generous man. He was exactly what he painted. Maybe not what the world was, but what the world ought to be," he said.

Harbour's pursuit of art led him to the New England School of Art in Boston. During his freshman year, the nationally known watercolorist Don Stone was among his professors. Stone announced at the beginning of the class that this would be his last year teaching. Consequently, this would be the last year he would offer a summer scholarship to the student who proved to be the best in the class.

Harbour had no idea he would be selected.

"It was an incredible summer in Rockport, Mass.," he said. "The scholarship was with Stone, but he was friends with Tom Nichols and Paul Strisik. They hung out together, and I got to be a part of it. They were all so open and gracious."

All three were members of the prestigious National Academy of Design. The Academy, founded in 1825, is an institution of America's prominent artists. Each member has to be elected into membership by their peers.

As much as Harbour loves painting, scrimshaw came to be his love: "I love my scrimshaw. I can't imagine going a day without doing scrimshaw."

Scrimshaw is the art form of bone carving. It originated on New England whaling ships by sailors as they waited for the next whale sighting. It is considered by many to be the only original American art form.

Harbour carves wildlife scenes, color and black and white, on knife handles. But how did a painter discover scrimshaw?

In 1976, Mount Anthony Union High School was having a gem and mineral show, where he met Ed Booker from New Bedford, Mass.

"I asked if he would teach me. He said he would have to see some of my work first before he would decide," he said. "So I took some pen and inks to him and he accepted me. We became good friends. Still are."

As with most artists, Harbour spent the early years working other jobs to supplement his income.

"I picked jobs that weren't demanding with after hours," he said. "I would paint any free minute I had. For the last 20 years, I've been doing art shows with my landscapes and wildlife. Oils and watercolor. And the last eight years, I've been selling the scrimshaw on eBay.

"I feel very fortunate to be able to be making a living with art. For anyone's art to sell while they are still alive is quite an accomplishment."

Harbour is currently exhibiting at the Toomey Gallery of Fine Arts on Harwood Hill in Bennington through May 25.

The Toomey Gallery of Fine Art is located at 1896 Harwood Hill (Route 7A) in Bennington, Vt. Info: 802-447-3350.