Attached is Grandma Moses’ art titled “Catching the Thanksgiving Turkey.”

By Darla McCammon

Taking us ever closer to the wonderful national holiday of Thanksgiving this week, and another work of art about that holiday, we will visit a painting done by a woman who did not seriously take up painting until she reached the age of 78.

Anna Mary Robertson was born on Sept. 7, 1860, in Washington County, New York. Her large family included nine brothers and sisters. Their father encouraged his children to draw and provided large sheets of blank newspaper, but nothing came of these artistic efforts until much later. Anna Mary enjoyed drawing, but eventually grew up and wed a farmer named Thomas Moses. They purchased property in Virginia. Following the tradition of her own mother, Anna Mary had 10 children. Unfortunately, half of them died at birth. Eagle Bridge, New York became their permanent home in 1907.

Anna Mary would remain in Eagle Bridge for the rest of her life. Her first painting was done on her own living room wall when she ran out of wallpaper in the parlor, so she found white wallpaper and finished the wall with her own house paint. This piece of art is now in a museum. She took up embroidery for a while but arthritis interfered with creating the precise stitches she longed to produce.

Giving up on stitchery, she found cardboard and began painting happy remembrances of her childhood and her surrounding beautiful countryside. She was 78 and began a career that would be with her for the rest of her life. Her work was often childlike, some called it primitive, but it was appealing and uplifting. One of her famous pieces was “Catching the Turkey” and depicts the efforts of many to catch the Thanksgiving meal.

She became well-known by the name “Grandma Moses” and was a happy and pleasant soul, thrilled that so many people liked her paintings. Today you can find her work on jigsaw puzzles, in wonderful frames in gift shops, in home décor businesses and in museums. There were some similarities to the works produced by Currier and Ives in their portrayal of simple country life and happy times unmarred by war or tragedy.

The scenes she painted were happy scenes of herself as a child or rural home life. Other paintings are of people as she might have seen them dress out in the country and rural areas. She liked showing them in eighteenth-century clothing and going about their business and activities successfully. Her most popular paintings include “The Old Oaken Bucket,” one called “Sugaring Off,” and, if you remember the old song, “Over the River to Grandma’s House.” Grandma Moses died on Dec. 13, 1961. She lived to be 101. Many attribute her long life to her positive outlook.

“Regardless of the fact that her paintings are considered primitive because of the flat images, lack of shadows, and no indications of weather, they are filled with the joy of life,” said a website about her life and work. “There is no despair or unhappiness. Her work shows this unrealistic view of life with remarkable power.”

Personally, I believe we all need a bit more of this “unrealistic” view if that’s what it takes to keep us all civil, kind, and joyous. I’m looking forward to a Thanksgiving Day where we can all be thankful and grateful.

Upcoming and Current Events

Please contact Darla McCammon at [email protected] or (574) 527-4044 if you have an event to mention.

• The LAA member show exhibit with award-winning work is open from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.
• Through Dec. 28, photography by Florida artist Darlene Romano will be on display at the Warsaw City Hall Gallery, located at 102 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw. It is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays. Online views of more work by this artist can be found at www.darleneromano.com.
• The Gallery at Rua will be on display from Nov. 13 through Jan. 12. A reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at 108 E. Market St., featuring Nate and Jeanie Skages with their “Resurrexi-Making Medieval Modern” exhibit. It demonstrates an amazing use of technology and printmaking techniques in the creative process.