Grandma Moses: The Folk Artist Who Painted Until The Age Of 101!
A tribute remembering Grandma Moses and how she guided my early years as an artist
POETRY
Grandma Moses: The Folk Artist Who Painted Until The Age Of 101!
A tribute remembering Grandma Moses and how she guided my early years as an artist
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File:NPG 81.8 Grandma Moses Clara Sipprell (cropped).jpg — Wikimedia Commons
Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses, 1860–1961) was an American folk artist who became internationally famous in her 70s and 80s, after living her entire life as a farm wife, mother, and homemaker.
Born in rural upstate New York, she had no formal art training. Before painting, she made crafts and embroidery for many years. Her domestic life was defined by farm work and the rural communities surrounding her.
In her late 70s, she began painting after arthritis made it too difficult to continue her love for embroidery. A local drugstore displayed her paintings, and a New York City collector saw them and bought everything on the spot!
Within a year, her work was in Manhattan galleries, and after several more years, she was internationally famous!
Her work, which is considered American folk art, brings us joy through bright, nostalgic rural scenes, including seasonal farm landscapes, community gatherings, snowy hills, harvests, and barns, all of which she lived during her lifetime.
She painted until age 101!
Grandma Moses was an inspiration to me, especially before I went to college to pursue my art career. I was initially self-taught and didn’t receive my degree in Art and Journalism until later on in life.
I visited the Bennington Museum in Bennington, Vermont—home of the Grandma Moses Gallery many years ago and was utterly thrilled to see her work up close. I have some of her prints at home and never stop thinking about how Grandma Moses taught me the value of an honest depiction. In essence, she was one of the artists who cultivated my journey into art.
When I began giving art lessons, I made a point of conveying to my students that while perspective and proportion are important, it is also important to sometimes let go and not worry about these art principles. Grandma Moses was known for her work to be without these principles. Her landscapes and figure work were often childlike and charming as a result.
Grandma Moses is the ultimate conveyor of painting from your heart and life’s experiences.
Although I was unable to include any of her paintings for this piece because they will not enter the public domain until seventy years after her death, I was able to copy the image below. It is delightful!
This six-cent stamp designed by Robert J. Jones featuring Moses’ painting “July Fourth” was issued May 1, 1969, in Washington, DC, as part of the American Folklore Issue. It honored her extraordinary contribution to American folk art, recognizing the way her paintings preserved the spirit of rural life for the nation.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
My poem was inspired by the sheer magic of a great legendary artist!
I found you in a library book So long ago Your art was extraordinary Your rural world was sublime
I was immediately drawn into the scenes Of snow-covered mountains and valleys Picnics with your loved ones And joyous ice-skating rinks for all
I marveled at your youthfulness Discovered by your joy I became your student As I taught art to mine
I will always remember your creativity And how it shaped my artistry You are a blessing to all Who find the freedom To experience How we live our lives.
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