Grant Wood is the artist I would like you to investigate for the month of February.
He was born on Feb. 13, 1891 and lived until 1942. His father was a farmer in Iowa and Grant was born on the farm. He painted an "all American" style of art that people loved. He painted the farmland of Iowa and the Midwest of the United States. He also painted many American subjects.
This is a painting of Stone City, Iowa. Grant painted many paintings of his life in Iowa. He painted people and places just as he pictured them in their everyday lives.
One very famous painting is called "American Gothic" and was painted in 1930. People loved his art work because it was easy to understand.
I also like the "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" because he painted it as he imagined it as a child. His trees sometimes remind me of broccoli. His landscapes make me smile.
Click on Midnight Ride of Paul Revere to learn more about this painting.
Grant Wood began his career with a Crayola contest. Wood later commented that winning the contest gave him the encouragement he needed to pursue a career in art.
He also painted this painting entitled "Daughters of the American Revolution." It reminds me of my grandmother and her friends.
Grant Wood painted Americana and the places and things he loved. These are evident as well as the regionalism of the 1930’s in his paintings.
Here is a coloring page and information about "American Gothic."
