A beautiful story of creativity told through the eyes of the daughter of an illustrious painter. Even at 80 years old, he pursued his paintings and a daily life of art and taught her to do the same. It begins with her memories, and although I found them interesting I do admit there was a lot of story to digest within these pages. I love how she shows that creativity in any form is such an important way to keep our minds young. Interesting on reading about the paintings of her father and those she encountered.

This is not an illustrated book despite being a biography of an artist by his daughter, but Emily Urquhart's elegant, rich writing does as much justice to his work as the written word can do to the painted image. Tony Urquhart is a painter and sculptor, and had his first show while still an undergraduate. His work has been primarily abstract, often inspired by/based on elements in nature. The author, Emily Urquhart, chose writing rather than painting and sculpture as her life's work and she does full justice here to her father and his life's work. She was born when her father was in his forties, her mother in her twenties, and her half-siblings ten-plus years older. The descriptions of the whole family together at home are wonderful. Her mother, Tony's second wife, makes do in a small kitchen with a table for four (she sometimes eats when everyone else is done) and the conversation includes everyone. Urquhart describes a blended family that worked harmoniously due to love and attention from the parents.
The author focuses much more on her father than her mother, unwinding the timeline of his artistic development. She has early memories of traveling with both parents so her mother could write (and later teach at universities) and her father could paint or sculpt. A major segment of his career was building "boxes" out of wood with added features and decorations. For years he did not paint but made these large sculptures instead. Then, just as suddenly, he stopped the sculpting/construction and reverted to painting while on a trip and faced with huge shipping costs for the heavy boxes.
From the beginning of the book, the reader is aware that the author is observing her father and his aging process. She tells of contemporaries of his who developed dementia and became unable to make their art in their accustomed way. An important segment of The Age of Creativity is her observations and study of the creative process in older artists as they aged. Some art critics considered the later work as inferior to the work made in the earlier years, especially with Willem de Kooning as an example. Some critics consider the later work to be simpler and more concentrated, others consider it to be demented dabbling. Urquhart does not take sides but thoughtfully considers all viewpoints while watching her father finally showing signs of decline.
This is the story of an artist, but it is also the story of a father and daughter who have had a lifelong close and loving relationship that continues. There is the normal foreboding of a loved one's aging and decline, and the readying for the last good-bye, but clearly Ms. Urquhart has been preparing for that while taking stock of her father's entire life and career.

My grandmother took up painting in her ‘70s, as did Grandma Moses. It gave her a depth of artistic expression she’d not had before. She ended her dream of singing opera when her sister died in the 1918 Flu Epidemic, stepping in to care for three young nephews, later marrying her widowed brother-in-law and having three more sons. Thank goodness she found art after her spouse died and her boys left home.

I never saw her bemoan age or growing infirmity. Making art renewed her late life. That sparks hope for me, as does THE AGE OF CREATIVITY.

Our artistic well doesn’t have to dry up in old age, says author Emily Urquhart. We can flourish as creatives, even innovate more in later life. She explains why in this elegant memoir and fascinating research-backed exploration.

She noticed that when her father, a renown painter, turned 80, he still made art daily, with an enhanced creative style. Is this unusual, she asked? Could our best work be ahead? Could aging free us to be our most artistic selves? And what can communities do to promote more fruitful senior years? You’ll find her answers inspiring and her book a joy to read.

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 01 Sep 2020

Thanks to the author, House of Anansi Press Inc., and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

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