Mouth and Foot Painting

Over the holidays my friend Phyllis sent me a beautiful Christmas card.  The original painting reproduced on the card was created by an artist named Jeff Ladow.  He is a mouth painter meaning that his work is created by holding a brush in his mouth to paint (because he has suffered a disability that prevents him from using his hands.)

The picture is named "Watermill in Wintertime" and I was captured by its contrasts of color mixed with the starkness of the black and white background found in this work.  I can easily imagine the reality of the New England winter scene he takes us into with his work.  I am so impressed with its detail.  I cannot imagine creating the same detail with a brush held in my own mouth.  I felt compelled to share his painting.

I also wanted to learn more.  Some research yielded the "The Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Association (MFPA)" which is located in Atlanta, Georgia.  The association has been in existence since 1956, when it was formed to give a sense of financial security to those who were overcoming a disability by using this alternative method of painting.  There are more details on the association's website which I enjoyed discovering.  

Art intrigues me.  It always has from the time when I was just old enough to hold a brush and do number painting.  Unfortunately, this hobby gets rotated way too far down my to-do-list of beloved activities.  Now I rarely get to play using colored pencils, water colors or pen and ink.  Loves like these remind me of the pure joy of playing.  They are the reward of living long enough to pursue hobbies.  I vow to pick up a paint brush tomorrow, even if it is for only one stroke of color on a white sheet of paper promising infinite possibilities.