This retiree wants to raise $1m for charity by painting umbrellas

When he struggled with his studies as a child, Akira Takahashi's grandmother told him he would end up as a "garbage collector". She was not completely wrong, as he now creates art using discarded items and paints umbrellas to raise funds for charity. The retiree, who was born and raised in Singapore, aims to raise $1 million for charity in his lifetime. And at 77 years old, uncle Takahashi is about $110,000 shy of his goal. A significant portion of his art comprises pet portraits on umbrellas that were commissioned by their owners, he told AsiaOne in an interview on Tuesday (Aug 11). About 40 per cent of such commissions he gets are for…