Monday night the film Emile Norman: By His Own Design debuted on PBS. Emile Norman is a self-taught California artist, who at age 90 is still working on his craft. 

The film tells the story of Norman’s independent spirit—how it developed from his early days on a walnut ranch in the San Gabriel Valley and brought him success in New York City in the 1940s and

 1950s. This independent spirit later gave him the confidence to leave the New York art scene and find freedom in Big Sur, where he and Brooks Clement, his partner of 30 years, built a house and created a haven for a circle of friends that still grows today. None of this came without struggle. From the beginning, Norman’s natural talent and love of art came into conflict with the conventional ideas of his parents, while his sexual orientation had to be hidden in a time when “gay” meant “sissy.” In documenting the unique life and work of this gifted artist, Emile Norman: By His Own Design shows the importance of art in channeling individual expression and shaping society. [PBS]

To find out when this film will be airing in your area and more on Emile Norman takepart and check out http://www.pbs.org/emilenorman/