Jennifer Davey is proving it is never too late to hone new skills.
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The 81-year-old has spent much of the pandemic focused on painting.
Her upskilling has included hosting her first exhibition and having more than 50 landscape works for sale.
Ms Davey, who turns 82 next month, said she had previously dabbled in painting but never took it seriously until last year.
"Somewhere or other, the thought struck me -'if not now, then when?' I can't remember when the exact point was but more and more I was sure this was my moment and I could take it now," she said.
"I have been working hard since early last year and been very productive and quite committed. There are other things I have to do - I'm married and have a house to run and husband to feed.
"Most days I spend a couple hours in our shed, which serves multiple purposes - my husband does the framing in there. And I have to take into account that one only has so much energy."
Ms Davey said the opportunity to focus on her art was made possible through Victoria's lockdowns and restrictions.
"It has been a wonderful, amazing distraction and relieves one of all social responsibility," she said. "Nobody can do anything anywhere, so I might as well do something.
"I had an exhibition in April that was reasonably successful. This time I am hoping to be a bit more successful again.
"It has caught me up in a bit of whirlpool. I just kept producing and producing. I love to free myself up (of her 50 works) in order to start again."
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Ms Davey grew up in the Bendigo region and is sister of renowned Bendigo artist Ruth Ellis Davey.
Ruthie, as Ms Davey calls her, passed away last year. Ms Davey said she believed her sister would be supportive of her renewed interest in art.
"(Art) was considered a hobby (growing up) and one that you were never able to earn any living out of it," Ms Davey said.
"I stood back and watched (Ruthie) achieve but it was a struggle and never easy.
"I reckon she'd be so pleased I have started this and probably say 'why didn't you do it 30 or 40 years ago?'"
Time spent living in Echuca is inspiration for Ms Davey's works.
"I'm a landscape girl and realist from way back," she said. "I just focus on what is in my heart and mind - the bush and its beauty and the sheer joy of the light and colour.
I never, not for a moment, thought I would be doing this in my 80s. I find it quite exhilarating. It gives me something to get up and get going for.
- Jennifer Davey
"It is exciting to be given a blank piece of board, canvas or something and can create own little world on that.
"It's something you have made yourself, it might not be a painting - my husband Kevin is good in the garden and with wood - he's practical. We're both the same age and I keep saying to him 'we're doing well'."
Ms Davey is selling her works during November. For more information email bodellia@icloud.com or jenniferdaveyart@gmail.com
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