practical living
last week of her life,” Wegner says. “While
I was doing this drawing of Rita, I thought,
‘You know, there must be a lot of other
people who are active and sharp of wits
and living in their own house independently
at this age’. And oh, my goodness, I have
found so many amazing 100-year-olds who
are active and in their community and doing
things. It’s extraordinary.”
Wegner is now halfway to his goal of
drawing 100 centenarians. “The idea of
painting [or] drawing a centenarian … is to
also have a chat with them and find out
about their life and why [they] think [they’ve]
lived for so long, and what sort of things
have happened to [them] in that time. It’s a
great afternoon to spend with someone.
“I’m very, very privileged, to be honest,
to be able to do this. Every time I meet a
100-year-old, I think, ‘Isn’t this great? I can
enter somebody’s life … who’s been on this
Earth for 100 years and talk to them and have
a great conversation’. I’m pretty lucky.”
Wegner says one of the fondest
memories from his time spent with the
centenarians he has drawn is that while
they weren’t rich, they lived rich lives.
The same can be said of Doyle, who has
stretched his creative muscles in more than
one arena. On top of being a painter, he is
also a sculptor, draughtsman, printmaker,
poet, lyricist and musician. He calls his
many talents his bag of horrors that he
presents to the world.
He tells me he has a saying: “I’ve been
born painting like the devil.”
Doyle describes himself as an art addict.
“I’ve just been doing it nearly all my life
really – trying to do it anyway.” He still
remembers trying to perfect a cowboy
with bow legs when he was a child.
The human figure still features heavily
in Doyle’s works, as does distortion. “I use
distortion and a lot of it comes from my
imagination. One of the [drawings] I was
working on just a few minutes ago is very
strange, you know, and I think ‘Where on
earth did that come from?’ It’s not normal.
I’m not a normal artist.”
One thing Doyle appreciates about his
friendship with Wegner is that it helps to
keep art central in his life.
It’s also one of the things he appreciates
about the staff at Sambell Lodge. “I’ve
really just landed on my feet [here]. I just
like it,” he said. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed
myself, been looked after, and all I have to
do is do my work.”
The Brotherhood of St Laurence’s
acting general manager of retirement
and ageing, Mara Erhardt-Rumpe, says
it’s important for people to maintain their
skills and interests after they move into
residential aged care and to ensure they
remain a part of their community.
“Our focus is to discover what each
person finds meaningful and find
ways to enable residents to live the life
they value,” Erhardt-Rumpe says. “Our
approach maximises people’s autonomy
and choice over their lives, drawing on
their interests.”
Creating art is a little harder than it once
was for Doyle. He now must rest before he
sits for a portrait and push himself to work
at his own craft.
Doyle tells me he has high cholesterol,
high blood pressure, diabetes and a
heart condition, as well as problems with
his lungs, liver and kidneys. He also has
schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia and
manic depression.
Despite this, Doyle continues to pick up
the paintbrush and pencil. “I have to just
keep going, working in the arts,” he says.
“It’s deeply ingrained in me.”
Doyle and Wegner are working on one
last big project together: a 2.5m long by
1.5m high painting, acrylic on canvas.
Wegner continues to pick Doyle up from
Sambell Lodge in Clifton Hill and take him
to the studio to work all day, before making
the trip back in the evening.
Doyle says Wegner spends most of these
days in the studio, working on the piece,
without much rest.
Wegner says the work will need three
or four more sittings before it’s finished.
He assures me that, despite this being his
last major work of Doyle, the two will still
meet regularly, at least once a week, and
the 30-year-long tradition of discussing art
while creating it will continue. ■
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