She Started Drawing at 70, Now Has Gallery Show at 99

At 99 years old, Nita Draut proves that passion has no expiration date.

Nearly three decades ago, Draut did something she'd never done before. She picked up a pencil and started drawing at age 70, transforming simple curiosity into a lifelong artistic journey that now inspires everyone who hears her story.

Today, her work is being honored with an exhibit at Fusion Art Gallery in celebration of her upcoming 100th birthday. Her medium is graphite, and her subjects are the people she encounters in everyday life.

"When I see something that would make a good drawing, I just go up and ask if I can draw it," Draut explained. That "something" is usually a face that catches her eye in a store, a stranger with an interesting expression, or someone whose presence simply speaks to her.

Her approach is wonderfully bold and refreshingly direct. If she sees someone who inspires her, she asks permission and begins sketching right then and there.

In all her years of creating art this way, she's never once been turned down. "I could be in a store and I see something that would make a good drawing, and I ask if I can draw, and I've never been refused," she shared.

Each portrait means something personal to her. "Every one of those people means something to me," Draut said, her collection growing into a reflection of human connection built one sketch at a time.

Staff at Ascend Healthcare noticed how her artwork touched people and helped organize the gallery exhibit. Jason Fewin, who worked to bring her art into the spotlight, sees a powerful message in her journey.

"I think it's an inspiration for anybody who would think that they're too old or it's too late to start something," Fewin said. "She's proved that it's not."

Why This Inspires

Draut's story challenges everything we think we know about age and creativity. She didn't have decades of training or a lifelong dream of becoming an artist, she simply started because something sparked her curiosity at 70.

The joy she finds in her work goes beyond personal fulfillment. "You can't know really how satisfying that is, that you're doing something that people like," she said, grateful that her portraits resonate with others.

Her hope is simple but powerful: that her journey encourages someone else to take that first step, regardless of age. "I just love the people that I draw. I hope other people will be inspired to try their work at art maybe," Draut said.

From a first sketch at 70 to a gallery exhibit at 99, she reminds us that it's never too late to create something meaningful and share it with the world.