The 10 winners of Artists Magazine’s 19th Annual Over 60 Art Competition have spent years creating art—often for others—and are now embracing the freedom their later years bring to their craft. Enjoy this look at the 10 winning artworks—and discover the insights, pivotal moments and creative turning points that have shaped the winners’ lives in art.
RON BROWN
San Dimas, California
“I think there were several turning points, with most in response to making a living as an artist. I began my studies in animation, then shifted to illustration based on what felt more employable at the time. When I finished my studies, I had a strong balance between commercial art and fine art that was compounded by my master’s degree. I’m still passionate about my art experiences so far, including teaching. Part of what I’ve learned along the way is what would hold my interest long term. This has also kept me engaged.”
PEGGY MAGOVERN
Danville, California
“It was a quiet realization that shaped me. When you’re a ‘seasoned’ artist, you’ve received countless rejections and criticisms of your work along the way. That’s the reality any artist faces while honing their craft. I look back to when I was absolutely devastated when that occurred. Then, some years later, criticism would leave me feeling ‘blue,’ but I recovered more quickly. Later still, I met criticism with curiosity; I wondered why it was offered and how I could actually use it. Today, I respect criticism and think hard about whether I can use it or decide not to give it another thought—except to remember that everyone is truly and graciously entitled to their opinion.”
SUZY SCHULTZ
Atlanta, Georgia
“When I first started painting professionally, I wanted to prove myself and show that I could do good work—not only to myself, but to other artists I admired—so I put in pretty long hours in the studio. I still work regular hours in the studio, but not nearly as many as when I first started out.”
WOOLEY DUTTON
Bonita Springs, Florida
“Art and creativity have always been a part of my life. At 15, I informed my father that I wanted to go to art school. His immediate reply was, ‘If you want to be a bum, be a bum,’ so I knew I wasn’t going to get support there. He didn’t understand art, and it was the 1960s—hippies, mods, rockers, etc. I was sent to a liberal arts college and was an art and math major, but I got the best advice in my life from my 100-year-old great-grandmother: ‘Don’t do what your parents want you to do. Do whatever you want to do.’ It was music to my ears!”
KEN GRANING
Holly, Michigan
“I’m a tree hugger. I think that’s a good thing. If more people started hugging trees and each other, then our world would be more peaceful. I paint trees, as well as people, houses, rivers, seascapes, skies, animals, food, cars, and trucks—whatever inspires me. This is the result of many years of working as an illustrator before retiring, in 1995. I’ve painted and hugged many trees over the years, including the Grizzly Giant in Yosemite National Park—which is a very challenging tree to hug!”
JAMES VOSE
Edina, Minnesota
(oil on panel, 12 x 12)
“I’ve already had one career. I feel like in this second act, I’m putting lessons learned in my first act to their highest and best use. I’m also harvesting insights from a lifetime of reading in the narrative dimension of my paintings. In short, painting feels like a very integrative activity, not at all a radical break from my life before painting. I count this as incredible good fortune. I can’t wait to get to the easel in the morning.”
JEANNE CRAIN LEEMON
Loudon, Tennessee
“I’ve always been a realistic painter, but earlier in my career, I felt more free to experiment with media and styles. I work differently now in that my style has gotten ‘tighter’ and more detailed. Also, I now work almost exclusively in oil. My style evolved organically, and I guess it just suited my personality better. I don’t know if it was coincidence or not, but there was a turning point in the recognition of my art in the last five years. This was after my husband passed away. Perhaps I immersed myself more in painting to deal with the grief and produced better work, or perhaps the recognition would have come anyway.”
KEN GOLDMAN
San Diego, California
“After I left the San Diego Natural History Museum’s exhibition department in 1976 to become a full-time fine artist, I knew that from then on, any work I created would need to be something I was really passionate about. So far it has worked out really well. Compared to my earlier career, I’m now much more reflective and strategic. Maturation has allowed me to thoughtfully slow down to incorporate the elements and principles of good design into my work, to the best of my ability. Becoming a more skilled draftsman is now much more important to me than notoriety. Sometimes I joke, ‘You can keep the fame; I’ll take the fortune.’”
JULIA DOEMLAND
Ringoes, New Jersey
“A turning point came when I was hired by Ridgeview Conservancy, in Princeton, New Jersey, to paint meaningful sites along trails created by local high school students. This included mature forest, overgrown fields and streams, and abandoned property. That experience heightened my awareness that the forests, fields and streams where I live may not endure. My practice has since become not just an aesthetic pursuit but a way to preserve memory and inspire care and stewardship of the land.”
LAUREN KNODE
Phoenix, Arizona
“The decision to move to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area from Portland, Oregon, after participating in several art festivals was a turning point for me. It has definitely shaped the artist I am today. The warm light and desert palette greatly inspire me.”
To learn more about the creative processes behind the Over 60 award-winning works, see the full story in the July/August 2026 issue of Artists Magazine.
Artists Magazine’s Over 60 Art Competition will be celebrating its 20th year of recognizing artists age 60+ working in all traditional art media. Whether you’ve been painting full-time for decades or have kept your art going as a side hustle while juggling other professions or responsibilities, don’t miss this opportunity to earn recognition—cash prizes and publication—for your creative efforts.
Watch for details here!
About the Author
Massachusetts-based writer Doreen Manning is a regular contributor to Artists Magazine and other arts publications.
