Page 8 - Giv'er Miramichi Magazine - Spring Giver 2026

Never Too Late to Begin

How Art Changed Everything for Big Grampy Graphite

Hugh Sargent was 65 when he
first began to draw seriously.
After decades of heavy construction
work, much of it isolated in Alberta’s oil
and gas industry, retirement was a
difficult transition. “It was the antithesis
of art,” he says of his former life. The
pace had been demanding, and the
sudden quiet left a hole to fill.
One day, while watching a
YouTube video on drawing, he heard,
“Anybody can create something.” Hugh
grabbed a piece of lined paper and the
only pencil he could find, a small golf
pencil with no eraser, and began to
draw. From that moment, “the creative
floodwaters started flowing,” he says.
Now 67 and self-taught, Hugh
immerses himself in learning. He
studies traditional drawing techniques,
exploring methods used to create depth
and realism. Working primarily in
graphite and coloured pencils, he
produces pieces ranging from 7 × 12
inches to 2 × 3 feet and larger.
Art, he says, has transformed his
life. “It’s like Zen meditation,” Hugh
says. “Once you find the love for it, you
can’t put it down.” Drawing quiets his
mind. It has helped him manage anxiety
and given him focus and purpose. When
he draws, he can disappear into any
world he wants to create, whether it’s
landscapes, animals, seascapes, or
people.
Over time, he has discovered that
art mirrors life. It teaches patience and
humility. Early on, he admits he pushed
too hard and ruined a drawing he had expensive tools or formal training. As Artwork by Hugh Sargent
worked on for 18 days. When he often says, “It’s only a pencil and a settled in Miramichi 15 years ago. “I’m
frustration builds, it is time to step back. piece of paper. It doesn’t matter if you happy to be a Chi boy now,” he says
Sometimes you need to slow down, stop screw it up.”
forcing things, and walk away. The What excites him most is that there with a smile.
same is true in life. is always more to learn — another At 6'4", his grandson nicknamed
He encourages anyone who is technique to master, new ideas to him Big Grampy. That inspired his
struggling or feeling overwhelmed to explore, and challenges to face. This is Facebook page, Big Grampy Graphite,
where his artwork can be viewed and
try creating art and discover how his life now.
therapeutic it can be. You do not need Originally from Bathurst, Hugh purchased.
8 www.GiverMiramichi.com Spring 2026