Artwork copyright Rosemary Pittman. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Prairie Series II, 1994

Rosemary Pittman
(American, born 1916, died 2005)

Location: Discovery Elementary, Sammamish

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Prairie Series II is a painting by late artist Rosemary Pittman. It is comprised of a central composition framed by a grid of small portraits. It is part of the artist's body of paintings inspired by her own life. This artwork is based on her memories of her hometown of Cordova, Illinois. She described it as "a small town on the Mississippi River. You will see the butter churn, the old pump and the threshing crew, the animals that were around. We had the biggest barn of the area… Mother and Father are pictured flying over the barn…"

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Issaquah School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Rosemary Pittman (1916-2005) pursued a second career in art after retiring from a career in nursing in 1984. She attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and painted in a naive, folk-art style. Her artworks have strong narratives that reflect her memories and experiences, including her early life on a farm and scenes from her service during World War II (1939-45).

Pittman grew up in a Midwestern farm community and graduated from the University of Iowa School of Nursing. During the 1940s, she served in the Army Nurse Corps in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. She later earned master's degrees in public health and nursing education. She was Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington School of Nursing in Seattle after teaching from 1964 to 1984 and was also a founder of their Nurse Practitioner program.