Jean Price Norman was a versatile painter and graphic artist.
Born to a Quaker family in rural New Jersey in 1917, she displayed an early interest in drawing and studied at the
Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia.
In 1938 she married Emerson Horne (1912 - 1962) and had five children
over a period of 16 years. While raising her children, she kept a pictoral diary and the bulk of her
art consists of sketches. Sometimes, however, she created more ambitious works. Though
acquainted with artists such as Ruth Seidel, Kimball Mead, John Price, and
Edward Hopper (1882-1967), Jean achieved neither fame
nor financial success in her life.
Widowed in 1962, she moved from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania. During this
period she drew mostly landscapes, character sketches, and flowers. She admired Andrew
Wyeth (1917 - 2009) and his preference for muted earth tones can be seen in some of her works.
As her arthritis progressed, Jean moved to the warmer climate of central
Arizona in 1966, then San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. During this period she met
William Norman (1904 - 1984). They became inseparable friends
and eventually married. Influenced by Will's post-fauvist tendencies, Jean's later works became more
fluid and abstract. After Will passed away, she spent her remaining years in Maui, Hawaii. She was an active member in the
Kihei Arts Council and produced many drawings for
The Friends Journal.
By 1992 her arthritis had progressed so far that she was unable to paint. On September 21, 2000 she passed away in her sleep.
This gallery, created by one of her children, spans a fifty year time frame.
