We took a special trip to a museum in Bennington, Vermont that has a great number of Grandma Moses paintings. In her late 70's after her husband had died and her life of work as a farmer's wife lessened, she started painting to sell at farmer's markets for extra money. She was self taught and the museum described how her skills changed over time.
She would start by buying a frame at thrift stores or estate sales. She said it only made sense to not put the cart before the horse. Next she would cut a piece of masonite to fit the frame and then before starting her painting she would put three coats of white paint on the masonite ("the better coverage saves on oils" "oils are expensive" - she said).
She loved winter scenes. Especially Currier and Ives winter prints. This museum's display showed a Grandma Moses painting next to a Currier and Ives and pointed out the similarities and disparities. The buildings were the same. The trees slightly different. But the animals and people were different.
I enjoyed the display. I hope I'm half that talented sometime in my life!
