/ By Kate Stephens and Stan Shaw
Posted Tue 1 May 2018 at 6:37amTuesday 1 May 2018 at 6:37am, updated Thu 6 Sep 2018 at 1:46pmThursday 6 Sep 2018 at 1:46pm
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abc.net.au/news/trudy-smith-102-year-old-painter/9710314
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Trudy Smith had always dreamed of being a painter, but she did not pick up a paintbrush until she was 85.
Now 102, Ms Smith said it was a mixture of loneliness and newfound freedom that gave her the courage to start pursuing her passion following her husband’s death.
“The one thing I wanted to do was to paint,” she said.
“I never did very much before that because he [husband] was very critical.
“It has taken quite a while but suddenly I have realised that it is lovely to be free of everything.
“You can say what you like, you can do what you like and you can think what you like.”
Into the light
Some of Ms Smith’s latest work, ranging from colourful abstract art to landscape pieces, will feature in an exhibition at her local seniors community centre in Eaton, in Western Australia’s south-west.
She said organising the exhibition had been a lot of work, but she is not looking forward to the attention.
“I’m not very happy about meeting people and talking about my own things at all,” Ms Smith said.
All her paintings are organic with very little planning involved.
“I know some artists are very frightened of a blank canvas,” she said.
“When I see a blank canvas I just love it, and I can sit and look at it and the picture comes to me from the canvas.”
Embracing your inner weed
Trudy Smith had always wanted to be a painter, but it was not the life her father, a doctor, encouraged.
“I was sort of a misfit,” she said.
She saw herself as the weed growing in the middle of her family, a position she encouraged other black sheep to embrace.
“Be a weed — then you belong to everywhere or anywhere,” she said.
Say ‘yes’ to life
Ms Smith spends most of her time painting in her studio at the back of her house.
She is often asked how she keeps fit and healthy at her age but she said there is really no secret to it.
Instead, her advice is to just give anything a go, like painting in your senior years.
“Sometimes in life you think shall I do something, shall I move, shall I get married, should I have another child,” she said.
“Always when I have had that feeling of ‘shall I?’ The answer is ‘yes.'”
Posted 1 May 20181 May 2018, updated 6 Sep 20186 Sep 2018
AuntyUta 
What an inspiration!
Cat, she was 102 in 2018. She would be about 107 now. Do you think she is still alive?
How inspiring! I’m glad she was able to do what she wanted to do.
She may be 107 now and still in good health and able to do whatever she wants! 🙂
Yes Dawn, how inwpiring! 🙂
Good afternoon. I have something in common with this story. All my life I loved to draw, but there were always many other more important tasks: my work, children, providing for life, etc. It was impossible to allocate time for drawing. Last year in November, I broke my leg and spent quite a lot of time immobilized and inactive. And I started painting. I didn’t learn anything – I just painted the way I see it. It was great – a feeling of grace. And if not for my misfortune, I could not feel such happiness. And he didn’t need health.
So I really understand your character.