This image is the cover for the book Art of Aging

Art of Aging

The husband-and-wife artists celebrate the ageing process through painting, sculpture, and personal reflections in this award-winning book.

In this beautiful book, painter Alice Matzkin and her sculptor husband Richard Matzkin explore the experience of aging through their art, finding inspiration rather than despair. Both in their sixties, their ongoing collaboration has produced more than 60 works. They also share personal narratives examining various aspects of growing older—such as the progression of physical changes, sensuality and relationships, aging parents, spirituality, and death.

Their works feature well-known people such as feminist Betty Friedan and potter Beatrice Wood, as well as friends, neighbors, relatives, and themselves. Drawing on their own experiences and the wisdom of older mentors, they demonstrate that the elder years can be a time of growth and wisdom rather than stagnation and loss. This wonderfully illustrated book is a feast for the eyes as well as nurturing to the spirit.

Winner of the Independent Book Publisher Award and the Nautilus Award.

Alice Matzkin, Richard Matzkin

Alice Matzkin has painted most of her life. She has two paintings in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian. Her portraits have hung in the White House and have appeared in national magazines. Her Women of Age series was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Richard Matzkin is a sculptor, musician, therapist, and writer. He has numerous one-man shows and his sculptures are in collections throughout the United States. He attended the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles and later received his Master of Arts in Psychology from California State University. The Matzkins share a studio next to their home in Ojai, California, near Santa Barbara. For the past dozen years, their work has focused on projects that confront their fear and curiosity about growing old. Their website is www.matzkinstudio.com.