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