A 97-year-old Cape Breton woman is proving it’s never too late to rediscover an old hobby.
Audrey MacDonald painted for about 20 years, but went decades without picking up a brush.
She rediscovered her lost love of art a few years ago when someone gave her new paints as a gift.
"I have my breakfast and then I just come in with a painting,” the Maron Bridge, N.S., native says. “You think you're here for 20 minutes, and it's a couple of hours."
MacDonald keeps some of her work to herself, but she gives most away to family and friends.They say the real gift is how the hobby keeps her busy doing something she is passionate about.
"When you get to be 97, there's not a lot of old friends left around,” says MacDonald’s son, Gordon MacDonald. “It gives her something to do and occupies her time. It's amazing that she's able to do that and do the job she does."
MacDonald will have one of her works on display at the Proletarian Art Exhibit at Cape Breton University later this month.
"I thought it was nice to put it out at the gallery and just let people see what I'm doing at my age,” MacDonald says.
“If you have the desire to do it, you can do it."
MacDonald has arthritis and a hand tremor, so she's not sure how much longer she'll be able to keep painting.
But like a fine wine, she feels she has only gotten better with age.
"I'm just having fun, really."
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.
