Glenys Cour, a talented artist, will soon celebrate her 101st birthday. She has always loved colors and continues to paint every day at her home in Swansea. Glenys never uses a brush; she prefers to paint with pieces of fabric and her fingers.
Her artworks are displayed in several countries and are part of private and public collections. Glenys says that colors are very important in her life and work. She grew up alone because her father was a mine director, and the family had to move often. During her childhood, she felt different from other children, but she loved creating stories and drawing.
Glenys studied art in Cardiff and had a famous teacher, Ceri Richards, who taught her to “see” the world differently. Later, she taught art in a school in Swansea and met her husband, Ronald Cour, a sculptor. They got married when she was 25 years old and had an active social life, surrounded by artists and poets, including Dylan Thomas.
After Ronald’s sudden death in 1978, Glenys focused on painting to overcome her sadness. She also taught for many years and inspired many students.
Today, Glenys is proud of her life and says that continuing to work has helped her stay healthy and happy.
Vocabulary:
• Talented (adj): having a natural ability
• Celebrate (verb): mark a special event
• Brush (noun): tool with bristles for painting
• Fabric (noun): material made from fibers
• Fingers (noun): hand parts for holding
• Displayed (verb): shown in public
• Childhood (noun): period of being a child
• Drawing (noun): creating images with a pencil
• Sudden (adj): quick and unexpected
• Overcome (verb): succeed in handling something
• Sadness (noun): feeling of unhappiness
• Proud (adj): happy with an achievement
Source: BBC