A Lifetime of Painting

I came upon him on the river bank, near to the boathouse; he was sitting facing the cathedral. I looked at his easel and noted that his watercolour was at an advanced stage. I was thrilled by his use of warm tones against the cobalt sky. I stood and watched as he added the final marks with a fine brush, using a rich mix of burnt umber and ultramarine.
After he had put down his brush and contemplated his work, I asked. “How long did it take you to complete?”
“Just under three hours,” he said. “Plus sixty three years.”