Lesson 4 The Late Bloomers
Grandma Moses: Life Is What You Make It
Do you believe ____ world-famous artists always show their special skills from an early age?
Do you think they ____ started their artistic careers as young people?
While this may be true for Mozart or Picasso, there are ____ individuals who discovered their artistic talents later in life.
A good example is Anna Mary Robertson ____ widely known as Grandma Moses.
She only began ____ in earnest in her late 70s.
However, ____ did not stop her from becoming one of the most beloved American folk artists.
Life and Career
Moses was born on ____ farm in rural New York in 1860.
She spent ____ early years keeping house and doing farm work.
Despite her interest in art from a young age, ____ was generally too busy to develop her abilities.
She worked ____ as a farmer and homemaker, occasionally finding time for “hobby art” such as quilting.
However, she never lost her ____ for art, even in her busiest days.
It was ____ until her late 70s that Moses finally began painting in earnest.
Once she started, she spent most of her ____ painting.
In 1938, an ____ collector discovered her paintings displayed in a local store.
The following year, he managed to get Moses’ ____ included in the exhibition “Contemporary Unknown American Painters.”
In 1940, she had her first individual exhibition in New ____ City.
Soon after she became known as Grandma Moses throughout ____ art world.
Her images were commercially reproduced for greeting cards ____ stamps.
Her unique ____ style and peaceful scenes inspired people all over the world.
She ____ given the Achievement Award of the Women’s National Press Club in 1949 for her outstanding artistic accomplishments.
Artworks
Since Moses was self-taught, some people ____ to her as a “primitive artist.”
Lacking formal training, she ____ ignored perspective and proportion.
However, her art was direct, honest, and cheerful. Using bright colors and simple ____ she skillfully conveyed her pleasant memories and emotions.
Her works captured the everyday scenes ____ rural and family life.
Here are some of the important works that represent her distinctive style and ____
The process ____ making maple syrup, known as "sugaring off," was one of Moses' favorite subjects, and she returned to it repeatedly.
"Sugaring Off" (1955) ____ villagers working in various stages of the process to produce maple syrup from trees on a winter day.
Moses' appreciation for ____ ways of life shines through in this painting.
She believed that men, women, and children all should ____ busy and do their parts for the community.
The checkered house
____ checkered house is another well-known topic of Moses' paintings.
She created more than twenty versions of this house in both summer and winter ____
This house was a landmark inn near her childhood ____ decorated with a red and white checkered pattern.
____ "The Old Checkered House, 1853" (1944), a large house painted in red and white squares takes up the center.
In front of the house, various figures are engaged in different activities, with visitors arriving and leaving ____ horse carriages.
The checkered house represents her deep connection to the past and her ____ memories of old things that were quickly disappearing.
"Calhoun" (1955) depicts a ____ American landscape with farm buildings, rolling hills, lines of trees, and small figures working on the harvest.
____ title may refer to Calhoun County, not far from the farm where Moses and her family once lived.
However, this peaceful and poetic scene portrays an ideal world that existed only in Moses’ imagination, rather than any ____ place.
She believed that art should only present pleasant scenes and ____
She once said, “What's the use of painting a picture if it isn’t ____ nice?”
Legacy
Despite her ____ and success, Grandma Moses remained modest and dedicated to her art.
She maintained her passion for painting until her death at the age of 101, leaving behind ____ 1,500 paintings.
Whether through her paintings or her life story, Grandma Moses proves that it is never ____ late to follow one’s passion and that there is no set schedule for success.
For some ____ it may take time to find their true calling.
However, with hard work, dedication, and a willingness to take ____ it is possible to achieve your dreams at any time in your life.
As Grandma Moses once said, “Life ____ what you make it. Always has been. Always will be.”