Painting her way through retirement, Pretoria's Jennifer Doon debuts her art

Some people find new hobbies in retirement. Jennifer Doon from Pretoria found an entirely new world. In her seventies, with fading eyesight and no painting experience, she picked up a brush - and hasn't put it down since.

Just over two years ago, Jennifer hadn't so much as held a paintbrush. She had always been artsy, dabbling in wedding cakes and flower arranging. Friends often told her she should paint, but she never quite believed she could.

"I have always wanted to paint," she says. "People would tell me I was artistic, but I never painted."

That changed when a family friend, who has since passed away, invited Jennifer and her husband, Pooran, to join him at art class.

Pooran declined - he's colourblind - but Jennifer decided to give it a go.

"My friend showed me some of his paintings and he took me to an exhibition. He told me that when he started, he couldn't paint at all, but the teacher said: 'If you can draw a line, I can teach you to paint.' So I thought, why not?"

Her first lesson was to paint two teddy bears in charcoal.

"When I came home and showed Pooran, he just stood there with his mouth open. He couldn't believe what I had created - and honestly, neither could I."

That moment sparked something in Jennifer. She kept going back to class and soon became part of a small, friendly art community.

"I really enjoy it, you meet lovely people who are interested in the same things."

On Saturday, November 1, Jennifer took another big step - she had displayed some of her work at an art exhibition held at Rosalinda Interiors in Brooklyn. The exhibition space is part of Artvankaren, the studio run by her teacher, Karen van der Merwe, where Jennifer attends weekly art classes.

Reflecting on the exhibition, Jennifer says: "I was very nervous," she admits, "but in the end, it turned out well."

Over the years, she has visited more than twenty countries, including Japan, Ethiopia, the US and parts of Europe - among others, and wanted to capture the memories of those places in her work.

Among the pieces on show at the exhibition were Mount Fuji with cherry blossoms, jacarandas in bloom and her favourite piece - blushing bride flowers.

Jennifer recalls the reaction to her work. “Some friends were there before I arrived, and my teacher even sent me a photo of them looking at my paintings. They told me it was stunning, but of course, I took that with a big bag of salt,” she says, laughing.

Most of Jennifer's work is done in oil, her favourite material.

"I use mainly oil. I've always loved having oil paintings in my home, though I could never afford the very expensive ones, as long as they are original. I never thought I'd be the one painting it myself."

Jennifer speaks of her art teacher, Karen, with great admiration, praising her patience and support.

"I don't see well anymore and I've lost most of the sight in my right eye, so she always gives me a spot in class with good light. I always joke that I am a one-eyed Jack," she laughs. "I'm just amazed at what I can still do."

It took Jennifer a while to sign her paintings.

"I think I was a bit shy, even at this age," she says. "Then Karen told me, sit down and sign them. That was just before the exhibition. So they're all freshly signed."

Her husband, originally from the West Indies, is her biggest fan.

"Pooran is quite fascinated by it all. I did a few paintings for him - palm trees on a beach, coconut trees, a boat on the water - a reminder of where he grew up.

"Since he lived most of his adult life in the UK, I also painted bluebells for him."

Her advice for others who want to start something new later in life: "Go right ahead and do it. You'll be amazed at what you can create. I still am. I've just started a new painting, and right now, it doesn't look like much, but I know it'll come together. It is amazing to see what you can build from nothing."