Lawyer Spends His Retirement Creating Masterpieces

There's nothing like the daily grind of work to stifle the artist that lurks within us. It's hard to tap into your creative side when you're worried about meeting deadlines, making a sale or drumming up new business. But step away from the day-to-day routines, and you never know what you'll find.

Charlie Roberts was a lawyer for more than 55 years, owning his own law practice in San Antonio, Texas. He’d always admired art — specifically, sculptures. Once he retired, he attended Southwest School of Art for five years, taking classes in stone sculpture and oil painting. With only 15 years of practice under his belt, he now creates his own beautiful masterpieces at his villa at Longhorn Village retirement community in Austin.

Each piece takes Charlie 250 hours to complete. He says he’s not worried about how long it takes him because the sculptures are for him. “It’s relaxing and at the same time challenging,” commented Charlie.

“Sculpting makes me use parts of my mind that are untapped, and I love that.” He hopes his children will keep his sculptures in the family, passed down from generation to generation.

Since moving into Longhorn Village nine years ago, he has created more than 25 sculptures. He has a workspace set up in his backyard under an oak tree.

May is Older Americans Month, and this year’s theme is “Make Your Mark.” Charlie has been hard at work creating masterpieces in this time of social distancing, and his efforts exemplifies how he's persevering amid the current pandemic and “making his mark.”