John Falter was a born and raised Midwestern illustrator, originally from Nebraska. Born in 1910 in Plattsmouth, Falter moved to Falls City in 1916 for his father’s job. From an early age, Falter found art and illustration attractive. John Falter created 129 Post covers over the course of his life. Much like Norman Rockwell, his works are simple observations of every day American life.
This is his “Sunday Gardening” piece, originally published on the July 1, 1961 cover of the Saturday Evening Post, the contrast is blatant to say the least. We see the tidy neighbor, Mr. Jones, tending to his neatly trimmed hedges against the backdrop of a well-manicured lawn and freshly painted home. His neighbor, however, a man named Red, is far less concerned with outward appearances. His lawn, flowers, and home are all victims of neglect. It’s a visual manifestation of the seemingly innocuous problems of postwar America — keeping up with the Joneses, keeping up appearances, etc. But just like so many Saturday Evening Post covers, a certain sense of social and cultural ignorance is also on display.
The chart is 154 colors and 319x350 stitches. It's a lot of colors, but there is even more details in this piece. You will love working on this project.
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