Checkered House 1943

"Checkered House" by Grandma Moses, I imagine, was made with a gentle hand, painting moments of a full life on a farm with a naive style and a sweet eye. There is a generosity in this work, in the warm reds of the buildings, the light sandy-yellows of the fields, and the hills, hazy and blue. You can see it in the patience of the brushstrokes, too. She would have been breathing steadily as she moved her brush along. The surface is soft and even, not like the aggressive impasto of someone like Van Gogh. I like to think that she took her time, even though she was in her 80s when she started painting, and she had so much to catch up on! I wonder if she ever thought she was having a conversation with him, or with other painters through time? Maybe she smiled, thinking that she was finally able to join the party.