The 85-year-old living in her own art installation

Image caption, Colourful octogenarian Sue Kreitzman thinks wearing beige might be fatal By Anna O'Neill London Published 2 hours ago Sue Kreitzman was not always an artist. By her own account, the 85-year-old, originally from New York, "flunked" every art class she ever took, from elementary school to high school. It was at the age of 58, after successful careers as a teacher, cookbook author and TV chef that Kreitzman's life took a different path. While looking over the proofs for her latest cookbook, she picked up a marker and drew a mermaid. She said: "I looked at the mermaid and the mermaid looked at me and I gave her a fish for a hat. She was in charge, not me. The mermaid took over my life. "I never wrote another cookbook. I got obsessed with drawing." To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, BBC London YouTube: The 85-Year-Old Living Inside Her Own Art Installation | How I Live in London Kreitzman's Mile End house is filled from top to bottom with pictures and sculptures, on every colourful wall, on every table, in every room and corridor. It is an art installation she lives in. She has a housekeeper, but how does she manage to keep everything dust free? "A little at a time," she replied. Image caption, The heads in this display each have a soul, according to Sue Kreitzman also has a curator - Jaime Freestone , external - who often stays over and keeps displays like the one with a multitude of ancient Egyptian busts and doll heads in order. Freestone became her curator after reaching out to Kreitzman over email for advice and mentorship, and is now one of her closest friends. "When I first came here, I used to find it a bit overwhelming - like oh my goodness, all this stuff," said Freestone. "Now it's like a second home to me. It's one of those safe spaces for people who are LGBT, people who are looking to be mentored. Sue offers that safe space for us." Image caption, Jaime Freestone says Kreitzman's home is a safe space for LGBT people One of the things Kreitzman is rarely seen without is a neck shrine, a chunky personalised sculpture to wear around the neck. Kreitzman has made hundreds - if not more than a thousand - of them. I was given the chance to make one of my own in her back garden workshop. Kreitzman gave me a Masai beaded collar, bought ethically from a female Kenyan designer, to work with. "It has to mean something to you," said Kreitzman of the customised design. I had brought along a variety of objects, including two necklaces given to me by past interviewees, a papier mache heart made years ago by my daughter and two miniature microphones to symbolise my career as a broadcaster. Inside the workshop are various drawers and boxes labelled "teeth"or "eyeballs". The former are real, the latter are not (in case you were wondering). As Kreitzman pointed out: "I'm an artist, not a serial killer." When my neck shrine was finally finished, it was pronounced "exqui