Art Masterpiece: “Checkered House in Winter” By: Grandma Moses
Artist: Grandma Moses (1860-1961)
Keywords: Scene, Foreground, Background, Folk Art
Grade: 1st
Concept: Group Mural Project
Lesson Activity: Create a snowy village scene using crayons and cotton balls
Meet The Artist:
Anna Mary Robertson (Grandma Moses) was the third child born into the Robertson family in 1860. Her parents were farmers and money was scarce. When Anna was 12 she became a “hired girl” to help another family. When it was cold in the winter little girls did not attend school very often, but when she was working as a hired girl she was allowed to attend school with her employer's children where she learned to read and write. She was a very hard worker and enjoyed the opportunity to go to school.
When she was in her 20's she married Thomas Salmon Moses who was also a hired worker. The couple moved to Virginia where they rented farms and worked the land. They had five children and eventually returned to New York state and bought a farm. At this time she was called Mother Moses.
She could do many things and enjoyed needlework such as sewing and embroidering and would make pictures on the fabric with her needle & thread. She slowly developed arthritis and as she got older it became more difficult to push the needle through the fabric. When she was in her late seventies she decided to take up painting which was easier on her hands. Her first painting was made using housepaint! She painted simple picture scenes of family, farm life, and community extolling the virtues of honesty and hard work which made America great. She was an excellent example of these virtues. Her paintings told stories about making apple butter, soap and candles, as well as depicting the joys one experiences living in a small community. Several paintings also showed a "checkerboard house". There was an actual house that had been painted in a checkerboard pattern which was dated back to the Revolutionary War.
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In 1938, Louis Caldor who was an art collector from New York happened to see her pictures that were displayed in a drugstore window. The story is told how Anna Mary's daughter-in-law told the man Grandma had ten more paintings she might sell. When she and Anna Mary counted the paintings, there were only nine, so Grandma cut a large picture in half and reframed it into two pictures to make the tenth painting. He really liked her work and bought several of her paintings. He also helped her by buying art supplies for her and used his influence to market her paintings.
She appeared on the Edward R. Murrow television show and showed people how to paint pictures. She enjoyed phenomenal success and was honored by Presidents and Governors. Several books have been written about her and a "Grandma Moses Day" was proclaimed in New York. In 1953 her picture also appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
She painted many pictures during her lifetime. Though she was a religious person she did not paint religious paintings. When she was 100 years old she painted the illustrations for "Twas the Night Before Christmas". She died at age 101.
Meet The Artwork:
Grandma Moses’ artwork is classified as Folk Art, as is the painting, Checkered House in Winter. Folk Art is a self-taught art. Grandma Moses fits this category of artists. These artists do not attend formal school to learn how to paint, they teach themselves or learn through apprenticeship or in a community/social setting. Folk art expresses cultural identity by conveying shared community values and aesthetics, which is clearly represented in the featured painting. It reflects traditional art forms of diverse community groups and is almost always colorful. In the painting Checkered House in Winter, we see a small community of people enjoying the winter and their neighbors during this festive time with Christmas not too far away. Whether it’s sharing a sleigh ride, visiting with each other or working hard to deliver firewood to those in need, the painting clearly depicts a joyous day which is supported by the use of bright crisp colors.
Lesson Plan:
Materials:
Large sheet of white butcher paper, approx. 3’ x 6’ Smaller sheets of white paper, approx. 9” x 12” one for each student Pencils Crayons Glue sticks or white glue Scissors Cotton balls for snow or clouds
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Process:
Look at the scene in Grandma Moses’ painting “The Checkered House in Winter”. Look at the patterns and colors used on the house, people, horses, and trees Look at the Foreground and Background, ask students what they see? Ask students to pretend they live in a house in the country during the wintertime. Think about how their house would look, and then draw it with a pencil (don’t draw the sky or the sun, that will come later!) Remind them to add trees, people, animals, but remember its winter, so no grass! Color in their winter house scene with the crayons Parent helpers: take the finished scenes, (trim with scissors if necessary), and arrange them on the butcher paper to look like a village. Glue down You and your students can add a road, a sky with clouds, a forest, a snowman, or whatever you wish to the scene. Glue cotton balls on to look like snow or clouds. Be creative! Hang your masterpiece in the Library for our Art Walk Exhibit or at our Art Masterpiece display area in the Library for all to enjoy!
Helpful Hints:
Suggest that the students draw not only the house but also the yard to the house – trees, fence, swing sets, etc. Some students may get confused and draw a summertime scene, which is ok. They can add a little “snow” later, if they choose You will need space to assemble the Village scene after the class is completed and may use the long counter or table in the Music/Art room You’ll also need time to draw the roads that connect the houses, add more trees if needed, lakes, streams, etc. Make sure you agree who is going to display their Village as part of our Art Walk so that they keep the display assembled and stored safely until then
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