Painting offers man a new hue of retirement

People milled about the room at a recent exhibition for artist-in-residence Norman Macdonald.

“People come up to you and say ‘Wow,’ and that’s very gratifying, especially if you’re 91,” Macdonald says to the Naples Daily News.

Macdonald took a class on color at a community college when he was 65 years old, and he’s been painting ever since. He still paints in his bedroom at The Carlisle Naples in Naples, Fla., where his artwork decorates the hallways and was recently on display for fellow residents. He doesn’t sell his pieces anymore but makes smaller canvases for his family.

"I have enjoyed success in another field entirely," he says. "It's something totally different from anything I have done in my entire life.”

Macdonald spent 40 years as a manufacturer of masonry anchors and served as a Merchant Marine in World War II. These days, his tools are a ruler, masking tape, acrylics and a hair dryer (to reduce the drying time) to create eye-catching gradients, stripes and geometric shapes. 

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.