Licensed-for-reuse image courtesy en.wikipedia.org
A woman named Anna Mary Robertson Moses was born on September 7th, 1860, in Greenwich, New York. When she was just 12, she went to work as a housekeeper. She maintained this position until she was 27. It was during these housekeeping years that Anna was gifted with some art supplies (chalk and wax crayons) by one of her employers. For Anna, this was the beginning of a long love affair with art. She went on to become a wife and a mother. How Artist Grandma Moses Changed the World. Anna lived 101 years, but it wasn’t just her longevity that made her special; it was also the fact that she began seriously pursuing art at age 78.
When most people are 78, they aren’t thinking about pursing a dream. Quite frankly, a lot of people who are this age are thinking about dying. This was not the case with Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses.
Artist Grandma Moses Changed the World By Proving That Destiny Looks Different for Each Person
- Went to school in a one-room schoolhouse
- Was raised by a farmer
- Had 9 siblings
- Married a farmer and managed several different farms with him
- Churned and sold butter to earn extra money
- Lost 5 of her infant children
- Charged $3-$5 a piece for her early paintings
- Titled her first solo exhibition (that took place in 1940) “What a Farm Wife Painted”
- Saw her works reproduced on Hallmark cards
- Charged between $8,000-$10,000 a piece for her later paintings. (Since her death, her works have sold for over $1 million.)
- Became a household name during her lifetime
Clearly, Anna was no stranger to heartache, hard work, and hope. She is one of the most successful American artists in history. All because she wasn’t afraid to get started “late.”
Licensed-for-reuse image courtesy Bosc d’Anjou via Flickr
Our culture tells us that if we want to be a “real” artist, we need to get started by age 25 and have attained considerable success by 30. By 40, one must have arrived artistically. This black-and-white thinking has stopped many, many talented artists from ever sharing their gifts with others. Grandma Moses proved to the world that it’s never too late to not only go after your dreams, but to be successful in them. She changed the world by proving that destiny looks different for each person.
Are you an artist who has hidden his or her gifts? If so, does anything about Grandma Moses’ story inspire you to move forward on your artistic path? Share your thoughts with us in the “comments” section below.
You might not have talent like Grandma Moses, but if you love art, you should check out SegPlay Mobile. This mobile app blends old-school paint-by-number with modern technology. What results is hours of fun digitally “painting” on your mobile device. Check out SegPlay mobile for yourself and tell us what you think!
Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:
Intuitive Artist Draws Picture of Son 10 Years Before Seeing Him
Books EVERY Artist Should Read
Artists, Here are 3 Tips for Stopping Self-Sabotage
Be an Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)
SegPlay® Mobile available for iPhone and iPad
