Experience: I graduated from art school at the age of 90
I never had any problem with my classmates, who were nearly all in their 20s. But a couple of teachers wouldn’t take me seriously
I have always been passionate about art, but I had no money, and with 13 children to feed and educate, being an artist wasn’t an option. I was 83 when I finally enrolled at art school. I was born in Barcelona in 1933, three years before the outbreak of the Spanish civil war. My father was a military aide-de-camp to the president of the republic. When the civil war broke out, he was sent to fight on the Aragon front and then became the army commander in Murcia, south-east Spain. After Franco’s victory in 1939, he was tried by a court martial and executed by firing squad.
The Franco regime confiscated my mother’s property. She had to live with her three children in her mother’s house in Zaragoza. Her two sisters and their children also lived with us. The husband of one of my aunts was killed by the republicans, but despite our divided histories, we were a united family. We never talked about the past, nor was there any sense of bitterness.
Continue reading...Topics
-
A new start after 60: I went to art school at 66 – and now I’ve sold hundreds of paintings
World - The Guardian - October 14 -
Experience: I do hair and makeup for the dead
World - The Guardian - October 25 -
His Near-Death Experience Inspired a Playbook for Aging Well
Business - Inc. - October 18 -
Singer Charles Costa completes his run from Canada to Mexico: '90 marathons in 90 days'
Entertainment - Los Angeles Times - October 17 -
Airlines bet on food and art to lure flyers back to ageing premium cabins
World - Financial Times - October 19 -
Review: Space-age art pulsates with the spirit of exploration at Palm Springs museum
Entertainment - Los Angeles Times - 3 days ago -
Israeli parliament votes to ban Unrwa from Israel within 90 days
World - The Guardian - 3 days ago -
Enterprise AI moves from ‘experiment’ to ‘essential,’ spending jumps 130%
Tech - VentureBeat - 4 days ago -
From Setbacks to Success: Mastering the Art of Resilience
Business - Inc. - Yesterday
More from The Guardian
-
Spain floods disaster: death toll rises to 205 as extra troops mobilised
World - The Guardian - 15 minutes ago -
About 8,000 North Korean soldiers at Ukraine border, says US
World - The Guardian - 17 hours ago -
Gunfight and massive brawl in France seriously wounds five
World - The Guardian - 34 minutes ago -
Trump tells Tucker Carlson that Musk and RFK Jr could be ‘influential figures’ if he wins
World - The Guardian - 5 hours ago -
Manchester United announce Rúben Amorim’s appointment as head coach
World - The Guardian - 28 minutes ago
Latest in World
-
Spain Flash Floods: Scenes From the Deluge
World - The New York Times - 13 minutes ago -
Manchester United confirm Rúben Amorim appointment: football news – live
World - The Guardian - 13 minutes ago -
'Amateurish' thieves steal 2 Warhol prints, damage 2 more in botched heist at Dutch gallery
World - ABC News - 13 minutes ago -
Middle East crisis live: Israel’s expanded strikes suggest ‘rejection’ of ceasefire, says Lebanon’s prime minister
World - The Guardian - 15 minutes ago -
Spain floods disaster: death toll rises to 205 as extra troops mobilised
World - The Guardian - 15 minutes ago