While many artists may rely on photographs or sketches to start their work, Grandma Moses once explained, "When I get ready to paint I just close my eyes and imagine a scene." Invite the children to close their eyes and imagine a scene. Describing a scene, such as rolling fields, a babbling brook and a farmhouse, provides the children with a base of comparison when reviewing their work later. Then, let the children draw what they imagined.
The primitive style was known for its charmingly flat, linear drawings that were one-dimensional. After showing the children examples of Grandma Moses' primitive paintings, let the children "Grandm-ify" a three-dimensional landscape. Have the children transform the more dimensional scene from a photograph into a flatter, conceptual painting, similar to those of Grandma Moses. Use bright colors and encourage the children not to worry about perspective, proportions, shadows and making their artwork look very realistic.
The art of Grandma Moses captured everyday, as well as historical, events throughout the course of the year. Encourage the children to pay attention to the seasons just as much as Grandma Moses did by having them create a series of four seasonal pictures. Have the children begin by drawing a picture of a scene in the summer, with hints such as a glaring sun or luscious leaves in the trees. After, have the children complete three pictures of the same scene but in autumn, winter and spring.
Spend some time reviewing the extensive collection of artwork produced by Grandma Moses and talk to the children about the types of subjects Grandma Moses included in most of her work. After discussing how Grandma Moses dedicated much of her work to painting rural home life, historical events in rural America and other happy occasions, let the children create similar paintings of meaningful places and events in their own lives. Using the primitive style of Grandma Moses, the children can create charming pictures of their family holidays, traditions such as pumpkin picking or ice skating or scenes of their family home.