Editor's note: Emile Norman passed away on September 24, 2009.
Emile Norman -- By His Own Design is a portrait of the self-taught California artist, Emile Norman. Born in 1918, Norman worked with a passion for life, art, nature, and freedom that inspired him through seven decades of a changing art scene and turbulent times for a gay man in America.
The film tells the story of Norman's independent spirit: how it developed from his early days on a ranch in the San Gabriel Valley; brought him success in New York City in the 1940s and 50s; and gave him the confidence to leave the New York art scene and find freedom in Big Sur where he and Brooks Clement, his partner of 30 years, built a house and created a haven for a circle of friends.