In another episode of “Second Start” radio show, Ofelia Kamavosyan hosted 82 years old Mrs. Greta. She started painting at the age of 75 very randomly, within five years she improved so much that she already had an individual exhibition.
After graduating from school, she became a seamstress and sewed for more than 30 years. Then she worked in the family business, a small store, for about 20 years in order to help her family. She is proud of her four children and grandchildren. Тhe album “Paint Yourself” intended for great-grandchildren has become fatal.
“There was a children’s notepad on the table, I turned it over and saw a monkey, my heart was so attached to that animal, I started drawing with a pen, I didn’t feel how that picture turned out. My son came to see and asked who painted this. I said, “I’m my son,” and this is how my painting period began,” Mrs. Greta says. She started painting portraits of Armenian great artists, poets, etc, realized her dream, creating a portrait of Karen Demirchyan. Later, the self-taught artist already received orders from neighbors and friends.
Her new hobby was welcomed by her family members and especially eldest granddaughter Anahit. They did everything possible to support and encourage her. In the yard, the grandmother was given a business card of an art group to bring her grandchildren, and she decided that she should try it herself.
“My son wouldn’t let me work either, he said I’m too old, it’s a shame, I gave him my business card and said: I found my job. He looked at me and said, “Mom, go,” Mrs. Greta recalls, admitting that she would not have gone to art school alone if her eldest granddaughter, Anahit, had not supported her.
“My grandmother was the one who introduced me to art, now I understand that I received the gift of creativity from her. It was the least he could do for my grandmother. We were very excited, as if it were September 1st, I took my grandmother’s hand and we went to the painting studio,” Anahit recalls.
Mrs. Greta started with pencil, then moved to watercolor, and in the last stage she paints with oil on canvas. The first exhibition was a group exhibition, Mrs. Greta presented 11 paintings, in June her individual exhibition was organized at the Narekatsi Art Union.
“I am very happy, happy and inspired. I am not afraid of anything, if it was possible to turn back time 20-30 years, then I would have started painting earlier,” Mrs. Greta concludes, advising everyone not to be afraid and do what they love.
