Broschüre Juli 2011 Deutschvdmfk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/VDMFK-Info-2014-12-en.pdfning museum of contemporary art in southeast England, staged an exhibition comprising 87 works

VDMFK-INFORMATIONASSOCIATION OF MOUTH AND FOOT PAINTING ARTISTSWORLDWIDE December 2014/189

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Contents

Foreword 3

Miscellaneous 4

EVENTS 5

Delegates’ Convention in Athens 6

PERSONAL 17

New Full and Associate Members 18

New Student Members 20

Readers’ letters 27

The significance of painting 28

We mourn for 30

VDMFK personalities 34

Artists’ activities 35

SERV I C E 37

Official information 38

History of the VDMFK 39

Painting school 40

PUBL I SH ING HOUSES 41

Publishers’ activities 42

Credits

Published by Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Worldwide (AMFPA/VDMFK)Im Rietle 25 - FL-9494 Schaan - Principality of LiechtensteinPhone +423 232 11 76 - Fax +423 232 75 41 - e-mail [email protected] - Internet: www.vdmfk.com

Edited by Mario Famlonga, Managing Director VDMFK

Printed by BVD Druck+Verlag AG, Schaan - 1000 copies, biannual

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Foreword

Dear artists,

The current month of December marksthe start of winter. It sees the year2014 draw to a gentle close and her-alds the beginning of 2015. So for meit is a good time to take stock of thisyear which is now coming to an end.

As you can read in our magazine, va-rious exhibitions were held during theyear throughout the world both byyou, the artists, and by publishing hou-ses in many countries. These exhibitionsand painting demonstrations alwaysproved highly successful with the pu-blic. Visitors were enraptured by the ta-lent of the mouth and foot painting ar-tists and that is a source of greatpleasure. I should like to thank the ar-tists for their enthusiastic participationin the painting workshops, such as theone organised by the publishers inPotsdam, Germany, where I was invitedto spend a wonderful time with theGerman artists; but also in the works-hops staged by the publishers whowork with great dedication to advancethe goals of our Association. Congratu-lations to all of you: nothing can suc-ceed without good cooperation!

The Association held a Delegates’ Con-vention in Athens last September. Itwas accompanied by an internationalexhibition which took place in the Zap-peion, the magnificent palace in theNational Garden. This meeting was veryimportant and crucial for all of us.

It was a pleasure to see our HonoraryMember Prof. Dr. Dr. Herbert Batlineronce again and to talk with him. He isalways prepared to support our Associ-ation. It’s important for us, the artists,to know where we’re heading and ne-ver to forget why Arnulf Erich Steg-mann established this Association. I canonly encourage you not to give up, if Imight put it that way. Only throughperseverance will you succeed and feelpersonal satisfaction. We artists are fullof joy when we are able to express ourfeelings on a canvas.

Christmas and the New Year are fastapproaching, so I should like to takethis opportunity to wish you a pleasantholiday with your nearest and dearestat the end of the year. May 2015 bringyou all the happiness you wish for!

With best artistic regards,

Serge Maudet

President of the VDMFK

November 2014

VDMFK President Serge Maudet from France.

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Miscellaneous

Artists’ activities

- UK artists held their six-monthly con-ference and exhibition in the coastaltown of Eastbourne from 21 to 26October 2014. Towner, the award-win-ning museum of contemporary art insoutheast England, staged an exhibitioncomprising 87 works of UK artists. PeterField, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant forEast Sussex, attended the opening ofthe exhibition in his official capacity onFriday, 21 October, and welcomed 20 ofthe UK’s mouth and foot paintingartists. One of the highlights of the eve-ning was the announcement of the

“Inspiration Award” which assigned thetop three prizes to the three StudentMembers David Read, Vanessa Haar-hoff and Barry West. The exhibitionitself attracted some 2,400 visitors – arecord number for this time of yearfrom the Museum’s perspective. TheTowner gallery offered plenty of spacefor the UK artists to demonstrate theirartistic skills and talents. During the sixdays of the exhibition, a number ofVDMFK artists worked alongside eachother at the same time. This enabledvisitors to experience and gain a deeperunderstanding of the techniques andmedia employed by the artists. The fol-lowing mouth and foot painters contri-buted to the exhibition with their pain-ting demonstrations: Jacky Archer(Student Member), Jeff Astle (Stu-dent Member), Andy Baker (Student

Member), David Cawthorne (Asso-ciate Member), Steven Paul Cham-bers (Full Member), Jon Clayton(Student Member), Ann Hulme (Stu-dent Member), Alison Lapper (FullMember), Peter Longstaff (StudentMember), Rosie Mariarty-Simmonds(Student Member), Roger Pedrick(Student Member), David Read (Stu-dent Member), Mojgan Safa (Stu-dent Member), Robert Trent (Asso-ciate Member), Barry West (StudentMember), Trevor C. Wells (Full Mem-ber/Board Member) and Tom Yen-dell (Full Member/Board Member).

GREAT BRITAINGREAT BRITAIN

UK mouth and foot painters who attended the Eastbourne conferenceand exhibition.

Almost 90 works by UK mouth and foot painters were on display at theexhibition. Almost 90 works by UK mouth and foot painters were ondisplay at the exhibition.

Associate Member DavidCawthorne gave painting demon-strations at the opening of theexhibition.

VDMFK Board Member Mr TomYendell seen here delivering a fewwords at the opening. He organi-sed the exhibition.

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EVENTS

Jim Hodkinson (Associate Member/Australia), ‘Pelican Cove’, oils, 35x28 cm.

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Delegates’ Convention in Athens

Delegates from the constituenciesgathered at the Delegates’ Con-vention which was staged this timearound in the Greek capital ofAthens from 29 September to 4 Oc-tober.

Athens was the venue of the 2014Delegates’ Convention which was held

from 29 September to 4 October. 36Full Members, to which the entireManaging Board belonged, travelled toGreece to conduct necessary statutorybusiness and discuss the articles of asso-ciation. The schedule also included theopening of an international exhibitionas well as various social events. Fully inline with tradition, the week in Athens

began with the opening evening duringwhich VDMFK Director Mario Famlongatook the floor and emphasized the sig-nificance of Athens as the convention’svenue: «The city was once the very cen-tre of ancient times. Today it is a vibrantand fascinating city on the Mediterra-nean with some 4 million inhabitants.Together with Jerusalem and Rome, the

Mouth painter Prof. Tranquillo Fregoni from Italy alsotravelled to Athens to take part in the convention as adelegate.

The two delegates who had probably undertaken thelongest journey: Grant William Sharman and his wifefrom New Zealand.

VDMFK Director Mario Famlongaemphasised the significance ofAthens in his speech.

Member of the Managing Board Trevor C. Wells from New Zealand (onthe left) talking to delegate Steven Paul Chambers from the UK.

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Member of the Managing Board Thomas Kahlau fromGermany (on the right) in a conversation with YitzhakAdir from Israel.

Member of the Managing Board Kun-Shan Hsieh fromTaiwan (on the right) with Soon-Yi Oh from SouthKorea.

city forms the cradle of Western civilisa-tion. Greek virtues in particular, as des-cribed by the famous philosophers,have been expounded in countlessmyths and are still ubiquitous today. Atthe time they helped enhance man'simage of himself and encouraged thefirst signs of democracy as we know it.»The Director went on to emphasise thesignificance of the city for artists by say-ing: «Aesthetics, ideal forms, classical

sculpture and the golden ratio also havetheir origins in Greece. Consequently,the city should be of great significancefor artists – people like you. I'm certainyou’ll have the occasional opportunityduring this week to explore the city andthe influence Athens has had on worldhistory and on our lives today.» Pre-sident Serge Maudet also addressed afew words to the delegates. He thankedthe assembled mouth and foot painters

for the effort they had put in to come toAthens. In some cases it had been a verylong journey. He added: «I’m happy tosee you all again in good health. I hopethat your trip went well and I wish youa pleasant stay. We are fortunate tohave the privilege of enjoying excellentsurroundings, rich in art and history, todo our work. This is an excellent envi-ronment for us to carry out our duties.»

VDMFK President Serge Maudet (on the right) engaging in a lively conversation with Vojko Gasperut fromSlovenia and Ilias Raftopoulos from Greece.

Obviously, attention during theweek in Athens was centred onthe two-day assembly which dis-cussed and concluded statutoryitems of business. In addition,delegates had the opportunity toaddress questions to the Membersof the Managing Board or to com-ment on various proposals.

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The entire Managing Board of the VDMFK was present and answered allquestions at the conference.

Kiichiro Mizumura from Japan.

Simona Atzori from Italy at theconference.

Artist Eiichi Minami from Japan (on the right) with his companion.

Participants in the Delegates’ Convention in Athens

Members of the Managing Board: Serge Maudet, France (President); Ruth Christensen, Denmark; Kun-Shan Hsieh, Taiwan;Thomas Kahlau, Germany; Manuel Parreño Rivera, Spain; Trevor C. Wells, New Zealand; Tom Yendell, UK.

Full Members: Yitzhak Adir, Israel; Simona Atzori, Italy; Glenn Barnett, Australia; Steven Paul Chambers, UK; Shih-Feng Chen,Taiwan; Benjamin Tan Boon Chuan, Indonesia; Fernando Fernandes dos Reis, Brazil; Tranquillo Fregoni, Italy; Vojko Gasperut,Slovenia; Heinz Halwachs, Austria; Lars Höllerer, Germany; Christopher Keith Jansz, UK; Hee-Jeong Kim, South Korea; Shu Ko,Taiwan; Antje Kratz, Germany; Kyriacos Kyriacou, Cyprus; Alison Lapper, UK; Tan Kok Leong, Singapore; Theresa HelenMatthias, Canada; Eiichi Minami, Japan; Kiichiro Mizumura, Japan; Machiko Morita, Japan; Ah Kwai Ng, Malaysia; Soon-Yi Oh,South Korea; Ilias Raftopoulos, Greece; Grant William Sharman, New Zealand; Robert Thome, USA; Ann Lund Wahlberg,Denmark; Brom Wikstrom, USA.

Guest delegates: Maria Apostolou (Student Member), Greece; Leandros Arvanitakis (Student Member), Greece; TriantafillosIliadis (Full Member), Greece; Eleni Marinou-Paleologou (Student Member) Greece.

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The conference at the Delegates’ Convention in Athens lasted two days and focused on various items of statuto-ry business. There were no elections to the Managing Board.

An evidently cheerful Lars Höllerer from Germany (on the right) takingpart in the Delegates’ Convention.

Helen Theresa Matthias fromCanada at the assembly.

Christopher Keith Jansz (on the left) from the UK withhis wife at the conference.

Mouth painter Benjamin Tan Boon Chuan from Indo-nesia (on the right) undertaking his task as a delegate.

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The international exhibition washeld at the Zappeion in Athens. Atotal of 145 works by 59 mouthand foot painters from all over theworld were displayed on this occa-sion.

First inaugurated in 1888, the Zappeionis a classicist building located on thesouthern edge of the centre of Athens.The VDMFK’s international exhibitionwas held at this historic site from 2-8October, with the opening ceremonies

taking place outdoors in the atrium.With its display of 145 works by 59mouth and foot painters from all overthe world, the exhibition was staged byVDMFK President Serge Maudet,Christine Papageorgiou, Member of theBoard of the Chamber of Arts andProfessor Emmanuel Mikroyannaki,President of the Parnassos Associationof Literature. VDMFK President Maudetspoke a few words on behalf of theAssociation. As he emphasised: «OurAssociation comprises 800 artists from

all five continents of the globe. Wepaint our ideas and send our work tothe Association, which selects worksand reproduces them on cards andcalendars in cooperation with localpublishers. When visiting the exhibitionand looking at the paintings, we urgeyou not to think that these works of artwere painted by people with disabilities.Anyone can see that each picture con-stitutes a piece of poetry. We mouthand foot painters share a common des-ire to express ourselves.»

The exhibition took place at the charismatic venue of the Zappeion in Athens. It was opened in the atrium outdoors.

Opening the exhibition: Serge Maudet, ChristinePapageorgiou and Professor Emmanuel Mikroyannaki.

VDMFK President Serge Maudet during his addresswhich marked the opening of the exhibition.

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Visitors to the exhibition (from left to right): Ilias Raftopoulos from Greece, Robert Thome from the USA,Benjamin Tan Boon Chuan from Indonesia and Ah Kwai Ng from Malaysia.

Iliadis Triantafillos, Full Member from Greece, gives a painting demonstra-tion at the opening of the exhibition.

Student Member LeandrosArvanitakis giving a paintingdemonstration.

The two artists Alison Lapper from the UK and BromWikstrom from the USA.

In high spirits: Member of the Managing Board RuthChristensen from Denmark (on the left) and VojkoGasperut from Slovenia.

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The rooms of the international exhibition, in which a total of 145 works by 59 mouth and foot painters from allover the world were displayed.

The international exhibition was held in the Zappeion in Athens. Artists and guests were welcomedby drummers.

Greek flair also played an essential role at the openingof the exhibition.

The two foot painters Antje Kratz (on the left at theback) and Heinz Halwachs (on the left at the front)with their companions.

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Glenn Barnett from Australia and his wife are clearlyvery happy.

Tan Kok Leong from Singapore and his companionsenjoying the ambiance of the Zappeion.

The works displayed by mouth and foot painters from all over the worldgathered enormous attention among the guests.

Foot painter Fernando Fernandesdos Reis from Brazil.

Artist Ann Lund Wahlberg from Denmark with herfamily.

An artistic encounter: Machiko Morita from Japan (onthe left) and Hee-Jeong Kim from South Korea.

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The hotel in the centre of Athensoffered the opportunity to enjoy ameal on the roof terrace with itssplendid views of the Acropolis –an opportunity gladly taken up ontwo occasions by the mouth andfoot painters who also appreciatedthe warm temperatures over theirwonderful evening meals.

Splendid views of the Acropolis during the evening meal on the hotel ter-race.

Member of the Managing Board Tom Yendell conversing with LegalConsultant and Honorary Member Prof. Dr. Dr. Herbert Batliner.

Artist Shu Ko and his companionenjoying the views.

The evening meal was held in a tremendous atmosphe-re on the terrace.

Member of the Managing Board Kun-Shan Hsieh fromTaiwan also joined in the festive spirit of the occasion.

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Traditionally, an assembly of theVDMFK concludes with one finalevening. For this the mouth andfoot painters drove to a spot bythe sea near Glyfada to spend apleasant evening with music anddance.

VDMFK President Serge Maudet andVDMFK Director Mario Famlonga tookthe opportunity afforded by the finalevening to give a couple of short spee-ches. Both thanked the artists as wellas the other participants for attendingand actively participating in the De-legates’ Convention. The final evening was crowned by an outstanding atmosphere with dan-

cing and celebrations lasting long into the small hours of the morning.

Guests were welcomed by the sounds of Greek music. VDMFK President Serge Maudetexpressed his gratitude to allthose present in his speech.

Two Members of the ManagingBoard Ruth Christensen (on theright) and Tom Yendell enjoyingthe ambience by the sea.

Artist Kyriacos Kyriacou from Cyprus (on the right) visibly enjoying theatmosphere with his wife on the final evening.

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A friend in need is a friend indeed: Christopher KeithJansz (on the left) and Grant William Sharman.

Also soaking up the atmosphere: mouth painter Shih-Feng Chen from Taiwan with his wife.

Member of the Managing Board Manuel Parreño Rivera (second from theright) with his wife (second from the left) and other guests.

VDMFK Director Mario Famlongaconveying his words of thanks.

Instead of waltzes, Sirtaki and Greek dances were derigueur on this evening.

The evening’s musical entertainment kicked up a livelystorm.

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PERSO

NAL

Josef Habeler (Associate Member/Austria), “Merry Christmas”, watercolour, 30x20 cm.

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New Full and Associate Members

The following mouth and footpainter shall be accorded the statusof VDMFK Full Member as of 1 March 2015.

Kosowski, Krzysztof

Date of birth: 5 August 1963Place of birth: Jablonowo PomorskieMouth and foot painter

Krzysztof Kosowski sustained severeburns in an electrical accident in 1972,as a result of which both his arms hadto be amputated. In 1978 he startedattending secondary school in Wrocławbefore going on to study art history fortwo years at the University of Wrocław.Shortly after his accident, he beganpainting a little with his mouth. From1985 onwards he put his heart and soulinto teaching himself to learn the art ofmouth and foot painting. He became aVDMFK Student Member in 1988 andan Associate Member in 2010. Krzys-ztof pursues a variety of hobbies in ad-dition to painting, including music andoriental studies as well as his interest inworld religions. He mainly uses oils,

mixed media, watercolours and ink inhis paintings. His favourite subjects in-

clude the world of the fantastic rightthrough to fairy tales. During his artisticcareer he has had the opportunity topresent his works on a number of occa-sions at solo and group exhibitions inPoland.

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Krzysztof Kosowski shall become a Full Member of the VDMFK on 1 March 2015.

Krzysztof Kosowski has mastered the two methods of mouth and footpainting.

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New Full and Associate Members

The following mouth painters shallbe accorded the status of VDMFKAssociate Members as of 1 March2015.

Ganor, Netta

Date of birth: 28 October 1979Place of birth: JerusalemPainting method: Mouth painter

Netta Ganor was born in Jerusalem on28 October 1979. After attending ele-mentary and the “René Cassin” lyceumin Jerusalem as well as the College ofManagement in Rishon LeZion, shefinally completed her Bachelor's degreein computer science in 2001. On 17November 1994 she sustained a suddensensory motor paralysis which caused areactive quadriplegia in the area of theC3-4 vertebrae. An idiopathic transver-se form of myelitis was diagnosed. Sheunderwent rehabilitation treatment forthree years at the Alin hospital inJerusalem and started painting with her

mouth precisely during this rehabilita-tion period. Netta has been a VDMFKStudent Member since 2003.Netta is highly resolute and strong-wil-led. She has developed a software pro-gram for safe vehicle steering. As she

once said: “I decided not to lapse intodepression and bitterness. Instead ofsaying give me back my life and insteadof waiting for miracles, I understoodthat I have to work hard.”

ISRAELISRAEL

Botto, Patrick John

Date of birth: 18 September 1970Place of birth: GrabouwPainting method: Mouth painter

Patrick John Botto was born in Gra-bouw on 18 September 1970. Aftergaining his upper secondary educationcertificate in 1988 he joined the SouthAfrican police service in 1991. On 12November 1992 he was involved as aside passenger in a car accident. Hesustained a fracture of the C4/C5 verte-brae, which left him a quadriplegic.More recently, Patrick has worked hardand with great determination to perfecthis mouth painting skills. He became aVDMFK Student Member in 2000. Pa-trick John Botto mainly creates oil pain-tings.

Patrick John Botto shall become an Associate Member ofthe VDMFK on 1 March 2015.

Netta Ganor shall become an Associate Member of the VDMFK on 1 March 2015.

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The following mouth and footpainters shall receive new VDMFKscholarship grants as of 1 March2015.

Mansilla, Carlos Gabriel

Date of birth: 7 October 1994Painting method: Foot painter

Carlos Gabriel Mansilla was born inBuenos Aires on 7 October 1994. Rightfrom his earliest childhood he has suffe-red from gait pattern disorders and anindeterminate congenital deformationof his bone apparatus and musculature.As a result, he is unable to use his upperlimbs at all. His legs only function in ahighly restricted sense. Carlos comple-ted primary school and is currently inthe third grade of secondary school.From the age of 16 he has devoted him-self to foot painting of which he is nowa brilliant – and self-taught – master!The artist has already had the opportu-nity to present his pictures several timesat various exhibitions.

Figueiredo de Abreu, Lucas

Date of birth: 25 April 1986Painting method: Foot painter

Lucas Figueiredo de Abreu was born inVarginha, a town in the Federal State ofMinas Gerais, on 25 April 1986. He wasborn without arms and gradually lear-ned from early childhood to do virtuallyeverything with his feet. Lucas attendeda regular school, where he also began todoodle on paper. A short time later hewas delighted to learn how to write anddraw using a pen clasped between histoes. He later went on to study law andis currently busy with his preparations topass the selection process for a positionat a public institution. Lucas was alwaysvery impressed by art. He regularly usedto attend drawing classes. At the age of14 he seriously began to take up pain-

ting with his foot and devote himself toart. Lucas enjoys painting landscape pic-tures in oils. He currently takes art les-sons from a well-known local teacheronce a week. In the meantime, the dedi-cated artist has staged several solo exhi-bitions and repeatedly participated ingroup exhibitions.

Ribeiro Santos, Thiago

Date of birth: 19 February 1987Painting method: Mouth painter

Thiago Ribeiro Santos was born in thecity of Almenara within the FederalState of Minas Gerais on 19 February1987. He was hit by a car at the age ofjust 8 in 1995. For 15 days he lay in acoma and fought for his life. Due to hisserious injuries, he became a quadriple-gic and has been unable to use hisupper or lower limbs ever since. Further-more, he will have to depend on a ven-tilator to help him breathe for the restof his life. Thiago arrived back home agood one year later. Since then he haswritten two books, including one entit-led “Esperança sem fim” (“EndlessHope”). In the world of artists, the twowords “endless hope” are very impor-tant. To put it briefly, they describe abasic principle in his life. In 2011 afriend encouraged him to have a go atpainting with his mouth. After a fewattempts, he was not only impressed byhis latent artistic skills but also by theactual results. Since then Thiago hasalso been taking art lessons once aweek from a well-known local teacher.Painting has become an important partof his life ever since.

Siqueira, Igor

Date of birth: 1 January 1997Painting method: Foot painter

Igor Siqueira was born in Santo Andréon 1 January 1997. Due to a congenitalcerebral palsy he is permanently paraly-sed and cannot use his upper limbs. Inaddition, his feet suffer from talipesequinus (club foot). After the death ofhis father, he lived in a refuge for home-less and abandoned children. Igor alrea-

dy embarked on his first attempts topaint and draw with his left foot as achild. Gonçalo Borges (a VDMFK As-sociate Member) recommended Igor tothe Association. As a result, ever since2013, he has devoted himself intensive-ly to foot painting and has been able tomake considerable artistic progress.

Tshering, Pema

Date of birth: 1 January 1981Painting method: Foot painter

Pema Tshering was born in Tormas-hong, a village in the Bhutanese districtof Mongar, on 1 January 1981. He suf-fers from a form of congenital cerebralpalsy in conjunction with quadriplegia.In addition, he has speech disorders andis unable to use his hands and arms dueto his disease. He uses his left foot foreveryday activities including drawingand carving. From 2006-2009, he atten-ded the arts and crafts school in thecapital of Thimphu, where he success-fully completed his training in the fieldof woodcarving and painting. Pema hasalso staged several solo exhibitions.

Fleet, David

Date of birth: 12 December 1968Painting method: Mouth painter

David Fleet was born in Quebec City on12 December 1968. He completed pri-mary and secondary school, high schooland a course of specialised studies inbusiness and economics. On 26 August2009 he was on his way home fromwork in his car when it came off theroad, overturned, and landed in theditch. The accident left him a quadriple-gic and all his limbs are now completelyparalysed. David then spent the next 18months at a rehabilitation centre. InJanuary 2012 he decided to have a goat mouth painting. In order to broadenhis knowledge he regularly attended a

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painting course at a therapy centre.David particularly enjoys painting lands-cape motifs.

Cardazo Hernández,Teodoro

Date of birth: 29 September 1984Painting method: Foot painter

Teodoro Cardozo Hernández was bornwith phocomelia, as a result of whichhe has no arms, in Nobsa, Colombia, on29 September 1984. His severely defor-med legs prevent him from walking. Hecompleted primary and secondaryschool before attending the “Cultura-ma” vocational college. In 1991 heembarked on his first attempts to paintwith his left foot. He very much enjoyedthe experience, so for three years hetook painting and art lessons under awell-known local teacher. Since then,Teodoro has participated in several soloand group exhibitions.

Gallego Ramirez, Elisabeth

Date of birth: 7 February 1989Painting method: Foot painter

Elisabeth Gallego Ramirez was born inthe city of Medellín on 7 February 1989.She has suffered from the disability ofarthrogryposis muliplex congenita sincebirth, causing her joints to become mul-tiply deformed. In addition, she has aparesis of the upper limbs. Rehabilita-tion treatments are now part of her life.She started walking at the age of five,mainly as a result of her sheer tenacityand steadfastness – despite of the doc-tors’ opinions. After learning to walk,she was admitted to the pedagogicalcentre of Antioquia where she alsoacquired other skills with her mouthand feet. Around this time she realisedthat her feet were the most suitable aidfor coping with her life. She went on tocomplete her primary and secondaryschool education with her characteristi-cally gritty determination. In 2009 anumber of people suggested that she

should take up foot painting and shediscovered a new zest for life. To deve-lop her foot painting talents, Elisabethattended the “Punto y Sol” academy inCopacabana, where she attended regu-lar painting classes which soon enabledher to improve her artistic skills. Shelearned the charcoal drawing techniqueand created her first still life pictureswith the aid of pencils. Elizabeth laterarrived at the “House of Culture” inCopacabana, where she attended artclasses. There she discovered the worldof acrylic painting and created manylandscape pictures using this technique.Afterwards she took private lessons, inthe course of which she learned sepiaand red chalk techniques in addition tooil painting. Elisabeth has already takenpart in numerous exhibitions and recei-ved several awards for her work.

Silva Contreras, Ernesto

Date of birth: 22 September 1951Painting method: Mouth painter

Ernesto Silva Contreras was born in alittle village to the north of Tolima on 22September 1951. He attended primaryschool in Anzoátegui. Due to the pre-vailing violent situation he moved withhis family to Ibagué. In 1973 he mana-ged to join the national police force buthis appointment was short-lived. On 26April 1975, he was working at a policestation in the village of Cundinamarcawhen he had a serious car accidentwhile on his way home. From this timeonwards he could no longer move hisarms or legs. This devastating incidentleft him a quadriplegic. After protractedstays at therapy centres Ernesto decidedto take up mouth painting, simply as away of passing the time, in May 2011.His initial, tenuous brushstrokes evolvedover time into vibrant and highly detai-led pictorial motifs. At the same timeErnesto founded the “Alfa Sports Club”because he wanted to help people withdisabilities integrate into society. Thiswas followed by his establishment offurther sports clubs, always with theaim of supporting the integration ofdisabled people.

Vendel-Jensen, Yvonne

Date of birth: 15 May 1948Painting method: Mouth painter

Yvonne Vendel-Jensen was born in Co-penhagen on 15 May 1948. After com-pleting primary and upper secondaryschool, she graduated with a degree insocial pedagogy and became a self-taught drama teacher and actress inchildren's theatre. In 2002 Yvonne wasdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis: in hercase, it became a serious and swiftlyprogressive, disseminating disease. Herupper and lower limbs are now comple-tely paralysed and she can only moveher head. In December 2013 she deci-ded to have a go at mouth painting.Once she had taught herself this skillshe quickly felt inspired by the joy ofpainting. From 1986 to 2012 she tookart lessons at the Holboek College ofArt. The subjects she studied there in-cluded sculpture, graphics, pottery, in-tuitive painting, acrylic and watercolourpainting. Yvonne has also participatedin various exhibitions in Copenhagen.

Flores, Juan Francisco


Juan Francisco Flores was born in themunicipality of San Lorenzo within theDepartment of San Vicente in El Sal-vador on 16 December 1957. He atten-ded school right through to the secondyear of upper secondary school. Sincehe was unable to raise the money tofund his secondary school and highereducation, he volunteered to serve inthe armed forces of El Salvador in 1978.Shortly after, the country became em-broiled in a serious armed conflict whichbegan in 1980 and ended in 1992. On1 August 1982 he sustained a bullet

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wound between the sixth and seventhvertebrae (C6-C7) which shattered hisspinal cord. As a result, he was diagno-sed with spastic quadriplegia and, dueto subsequent complications, had to bere-admitted to El Salvador’s military hos-pital in 1984 where he received a cour-se of rehabilitation treatment. He tookup regular painting lessons at this time:a well-known artist taught him how topaint with his mouth. He increasinglyenjoyed mouth painting and graduallymade considerable progress. Paintinghas been instrumental in helping himcontinue to live, to feel productive andnot to be a burden on society.

Harvey, John Anson

Date of birth: 5 June 1969Painting method: Mouth painter

John Anson Harvey was born in Wo-kingham on 5 June 1969. Signing up atthe age of 16, he served for a total ofeight years in the Corps of Royal En-gineers. In September 1992 a seriousaccident left him paralysed from theneck down. Since then he can no longeruse his upper or lower limbs. A goodfriend suggested to him that he take uppainting with his mouth for the firsttime in 1993. At the start, his picturestook a long time to improve but, un-daunted by this, the works he createdgradually became better and better.John mostly draws and paints portraitsof women or figures with some imagi-native aspects. He also enjoys paintingfantasy figures such as dragons andphoenixes and Pegasus.

Kumar, Uttam


Uttam Kumar was born in Maouri,Udhampur, on 2 February 1979. He hasbeen physically disabled in both his

hands and arms and in his right legfrom birth. At the time he was diagno-sed with a form of polio. Later, when hewas admitted to the village school, hefound it extremely difficult to hold a penwith his feet because his upper limbswere completely paralysed. Uttam prac-tised writing with his left foot wheneverhe had time. He gradually started topaint and draw. He participated in apainting workshop for the first timewhen he was in the fourth grade andmanaged to sell his first picture there.Uttam gradually honed his artistictalents and managed to take part inseveral exhibitions. Up to now he hasreceived 14 awards from governmentalorganisations and NGOs for his artisticachievements.

Nadaf, Bandenawas Badhsa


Bandenawas Badhsa Nadaf was born inMumbai on 5 February 1987. He wasborn without a left hand and with adefect in his upper extremities: his rightarm merely consisted of a short stump.But despite these difficulties his familyhelped him to learn to write with hisfoot. He attended the Hindi secondaryschool until the seventh grade and wasa very good student. At the age of 13he began to take an interest in art andset out to become a foot painter. At thestart he taught himself how to do this.Later on he took private art lessonsfrom a well-known local teacher.Bandenawas quickly made considerableprogress with foot painting and wonprizes at several internal school andnational art competitions in India.

Kooleri, Vyshak

Date of birth: 1 October 1994Painting method: Foot painter

Vyshak Kooleri was born without armson 1 October 1994. During his years ofbasic schooling the teachers at the U PSchool Ettukudukka in Kannur encoura-ged him to learn to write with his foot.He completed his compulsory school

education and attended the CheemeniHigher Secondary School in Kasaragodwhere he achieved very high grades. Hewrote both his final examinations withhis left foot. Vyshak is now a secondyear history student at Payyanur Collegein Kannur, Kerala. Vyshak had alreadytaught himself to draw and paint pictu-res with his foot at primary school. Hereceived encouragement from his pa-rents and teachers in these attempts. Atthe time he began to take part in seve-ral art and painting competitions andreceived a number of special awards. In2011 Vyshak met the Indian foot pain-ter Ganesh Kumar (a VDMFK StudentMember) and visited him on occasion tolearn the basic principles of painting.This is how he learned of the existenceof the VDMFK. Landscapes are one ofthe artist’s favourite motifs which heprefers to depict using the technique ofwatercolour painting.

Bjarnason Karlsson, Brandur

Date of birth: 2 January 1982Painting method: Mouth painter

Brandur Bjarnason Karlsson was born inReykjavik on 2 January 1982. He atten-ded primary and secondary school andcompleted four semesters of studies inbiology, physics and the social sciences.During his course of study, Brandur wasdiagnosed with myelopathy, a diseasecharacterised by an indeterminate dete-rioration of his motor functions. Thesymptoms have now left him a quadri-plegic. His upper and lower limbs arecompletely paralysed and he will beconfined to a wheelchair for the rest ofhis life. In November 2012 he began toteach himself to paint with his mouth.Because he was determined to his pain-ting skills he has attended regular pain-ting classes since January 2013. He alsoattended the art school in Reykjavík,Iceland.

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Liberty, Ruth Luba

Date of birth: 13 November 1959Painting method: Mouth painter

Ruth Luba Liberty was born in Stuttgart(Germany), where she also completedher elementary school education, on 13November 1959. In 1972 Ruth emigra-ted with her family to Israel. Once there,she and her siblings were sent to aboarding school in Natanya to completethe next part of their education. In 1973she was involved in a swimming acci-dent which left her a quadriplegic. Allher limbs have been completely paraly-sed ever since and she needs a wheel-chair. After her accident she returned toGermany with her family and arrived ina trauma clinic in Tübingen. A shorttime later she was referred to a rehabi-litation centre where she lived for sevenyears and completed her grammarschool education. Ruth returned to Is-rael in 1982 and began studying at theUniversity of Tel Aviv where she waseventually awarded a bachelor's degreein social pedagogy. Despite all her diffi-cult circumstances, she married in 1989and is the mother of five children. Shehad always been interested in painting,so she started to paint with her mouthin 2008. Through self-study and withthe help of the Internet she was able tosteadily improve her painting skills.

Gattolin, Federico

Date of birth: 30 October 1966Painting method: Mouth painter

Federico Gattolin was born in Saint-Étienne (France) on 30 October 1966.He attended primary and vocationalschool. When, at the age of 17, he wasinvolved in a car accident he sustainedan injury to his spinal cord around theC4-C5 area (post traumatic quadriple-gia) and since then can no longer usehis upper or lower extremities. His pas-

sion for drawing already started whenhe was a young child. He drew comicsand tended to use a single colour – eit-her black or blue. An occupational the-rapist encouraged him to have a go atmouth painting when he was in hospi-tal after his accident. First, he showedno interest, but he has painted regular-ly since spring 2014 after teaching him-self to paint with his mouth.

Merlo, Franca


Franca Merlo was born in Treviso on 6June 1961. She completed primary andsecondary school as well as teacher trai-ning college. In 1984, she was diagno-sed with multiple sclerosis which gradu-ally left all her limbs paralysed (spasticquadriplegia). In September 2010 shebegan to paint with her mouth on herown initiative. Slowly but surely shemanaged to achieve considerable pro-gress. Franca particularly enjoys pain-ting flowers and animal motifs.

Araujo Corrales,Carlos Fernando

Date of birth: 21 August 1988Painting method: Mouth painter

Carlos Fernando Araujo Corrales wasborn in Chois, Sinaloa, Mexico, on 21August 1988. After primary and secon-dary school, he began attending uppersecondary school but was unable tocomplete his education. At the age of21, Carlos broke his neck at the C5-C6vertebrae and was left a quadriplegic.But four months after the accident hecould sit in a wheelchair and, as a resultof his rehabilitation therapy, improve themobility and sensitivity of his upper body.Even so, he was unable to regain themobility and feel of his hands and legs.Some two years ago he met the presi-dent of an association for disabled peo-ple who invited him to a painting works-hop solely attended by disabled people.

There he also met the teachers MarthaGonzáles and Lidia de Jesús CháidezLópez (a VDMFK Student Member). Hehas regularly attended mouth paintingclasses for various groups since January2012. Since January 2013 he has takenregular private lessons. As a result, hehas been able consistently to further hisartistic progress. Carlos has already dis-played his works at a number of exhibi-tions.

Gallardo Ibarra, Araceli

Date of birth: 20 November 1972Painting method: Mouth painter

Araceli Gallardo Ibarra was born in thecity of Guasave, Sinaloa on 20 Novem-ber 1972. She completed primary andsecondary school. Her first symptoms ofrheumatoid arthritis emerged when shewas 13 years old. As a result of this dise-ase she was no longer able to continueher education because she was con-stantly receiving medical treatment andspending protracted periods at therehabilitation centre. She already hadseverely deformed hands by the age of18. One day she met Víctor Bojorquez,the husband of the mouth painter Lidiade Jesús Cháidez López (a VDMFK Stu-dent Member and painting teacher).Consequently, Araceli was invited to herfirst lessons in mouth painting. In theprocess she became fascinated by theidea of taking up mouth painting her-self because she had always enjoyedpainting when she was still able to useher hands. From January 2012 she regu-larly attended painting classes held byLidia de Jesús Cháidez Lopez. Delightedby the experience of mouth painting,she was able to make great progresswithin a short time.

Hernández Vázquez,Jesús Ángel


Jesús Ángel Hernández Vázquez wasborn in Navolato, Sinaloa, on 29 Oc-

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New Student Members

tober 1982. The carelessness of a medi-cal student at his birth resulted in seve-re injury to his right arm. As a result hismovement has been seriously impairedever since and he will suffer frommuscular dystrophy for the rest of hislife. In 2002, at the age of 19, his leftarm was amputated due to bone can-cer. He completed primary and secon-dary school. In 2005, he became awareof the VDMFK and began painting withhis mouth. Afterwards, he attended the“José Limón” school of visual arts inCuliacán where he developed his talentstill further. The motifs of the mouthpainter are a cross-section of the multi-faceted landscapes in Mexico, of animalfigures and of all kinds of still life pictu-res. Jesús Ángel has presented his worksto the general public on several occa-sions at solo exhibitions and other exhi-bitions staged in his region.

Juarez Covarrubias,Carlos Mauricio


Carlos Mauricio Juarez Covarrubias wasborn in Mexico City on 27 September1992. When he was one year old hismother took him to the doctor, whodiagnosed a Duchenne muscular dystro-phy. In 1999 he attended the “GabyBrimmer” primary school, which he ma-naged successfully to complete. Hismuscles steadily atrophied year afteryear and by the age of eight he beganusing a wheelchair because he could nolonger move his arms and legs. Even so,he attended the “Daniel Huacuja Sán-chez” secondary school which he left in2008. He even went on to complete hisupper secondary school education. Insecondary school, he began to take aninterest in arts and mouth painting. Toimprove his artistic talents he has beentaking private painting and art lessonsunder Jorge Marquez for quite sometime.

Luna, Arizmendi, Miriam

Date of birth: 13 May 1980Painting method: Mouth painter

Miriam Luna Arizmendi was born inZacualan on 13 May 1980. She sufferedfrom infantile cerebral palsy at birth andwill be unable to use her upper or lowerlimbs for the rest of her life. She atten-ded primary and secondary school aswell as upper secondary school at the“IUL Instituto Universitario Libertad”. Inaddition, she received a diploma in psy-chology through an online course at the“Fray Luca Paccioli” university. In Au-gust 2011, she embarked on her unde-rgraduate course of studies in psycholo-gy. In 1991 she began writing and later,in 2004, painting with her mouth. Be-cause she took great pleasure in pain-ting, she spent two years developingher artistic ability under the guidance ofArturo Paredes Correa. In February2010 she even opened her very first gal-lery under the name “Sol y Luna, Galer-ía de Arte y Cibercafé” (“Sun and Mo-on, Art Gallery and Cybercafé”). A wi-de array of recognitions by governmen-tal agencies and associations testify toher creative urge. For example, she re-ceived inter alia a national award for herparticipation in the art concours of the“Youth Institute of the Federal State ofMorelos” in January 2009. In addition,she has held a number of exhibitionsand motivation talks.

Moreno Diaz, Cesar Yaren


Cesar Yaren Moreno Diaz was born inMexico City on 27 December 2004. Thelittle boy was born without arms andlegs. One-and-a-half months after hisbirth, his mother took him to theTeletón rehabilitation centre for children(CRIT) where he underwent many reha-bilitation treatments over the course oftime. The therapy helped him to movehis throat and become a more indepen-dent child. By using his body to hopalong, he is able to sit down on chairsand can go up and down stairs. Cesar

began his education at the “ProfesorCandelario Mejía y Cervantes' primaryschool where he is currently in thefourth grade. He even learned to swim,and won third prize in his class at aswimming competition. Cesar began topaint and draw with his mouth when hewas 3 years old. He has been takingregular painting lessons since March2012.

Valenzuela Ruiz,Dora Beatriz

Date of birth: 17 January 1973Painting method: Mouth painter

Dora Beatriz Valenzuela Ruiz was bornin Los Mochis, Sinaloa, on 17 January1973. She completed primary school. Atthe age of 18 she was diagnosed withrheumatoid arthritis. The disease worse-ned over the years and she is now nolonger capable of using her hands. Herbody is slowly becoming deformed. In2008, Dora Beatriz began painting withher mouth. Her friend Maria de losÁngeles Romero, herself a VDMFK Stu-dent Member, taught her how to hold apaintbrush with her mouth. One yearlater Dora Beatriz began studying artand painting under the mouth painterand teacher Lidia de Jesús CháidezLopez (also a VDMFK Student Memberwho has already taught mouth paintingto many artists in Los Mochis). Themouth painter has now taken part in se-veral group exhibitions.

Huang, Guofu


Guofu Huang was born in Chongqingon 9 June 1970. In 1974, at the age of4, he lost both his arms due to an elec-tric shock. Despite his adverse circum-stances, Guofu completed his primaryschool education and gained his uppersecondary school education certificate

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New Student Members

after many years of self-study. At theage of 12 and on his own initiative hebegan to practise painting and creatingcalligraphies with his mouth. In hisyouth Guofu had the honour of beinggiven an extensive education in paintingunder masters such as Zhao Yi, ChengManfu and Bai Dasong, etc. In his twen-ties he studied under extremely well-known Chinese artists such as WangYiyang, Chen Mo, Hu Yichuan and LinChenghan, to name just a few. Con-sequently, he managed to learn to paintin different styles and now knows howto correctly wield the paintbrush inwhat is known as the “water ink” pain-ting technique. Guofu’s works havealready been collected by hundreds ofpeople at home and abroad. In 2010,he was given the opportunity to partici-pate in the World Expo in Shanghai,where he presented a wide selection ofhis pictures. Many other exhibitions andawards testify to his immense creativeurge. Guofu paints an extensive rangeof subjects including, inter alia, birds,animals, landscapes and typical buil-dings in his hometown of Chingqing.

Diongue, Yonni

Date of birth: 5 April 1995Painting method: Mouth painter

Yonni Diongue was born in Ziguinchoron 5 April 1995. At the age of 10, shesuddenly became ill when she was inthe first grade of primary school. Shelost consciousness and was subsequent-ly in a coma for over a month. WhenYonni awoke from her coma, she foundthat she could no longer walk or talk, oruse her hands or arms. She eventuallymanaged to speak again after an inten-sive course of physiotherapy. Her pa-rents coaxed her to learn to paint withher mouth, and she taught herself to doso in 2010. By doing so she continuedto make good progress and she haseven had the opportunity to exhibit herpictures in Dakar and the surroundingarea.

Barton, William V.


William V. Barton was born in San Diegoon 7 June 1992. He attended highschool and part of college. As a result ofthe serious injuries he sustained after ashootout in October 2012, William haslost the functionality of both his handsand arms, and of his left leg. During theincident he suffered a traumatic braininjury and injuries to his brachial plexusas well as a hemiplegia. In 2013, Williambegan to teach himself to paint with hismouth. Later, he attended an art acade-my to extend his artistic talent. Williammixes different media and paints in anabstract expressionist style. In his artworks he employs thematic progressionsby means of repetitive lines, meaningfulwords, abstract interpretations andexpanding representations. His enor-mous hunger for creativity is partly dueto the fact that both his parents are pro-fessional artists and that he himself wasalso an artist before the shooting. Wil-liam uses the shooting incident as acatalyst and art as a recreation therapy.

Condon, Michael Dennis


Michael Dennis Condon was born inPasadena, California on 10 October1949. He attended elementary, juniorhigh, high school and college. In 1971,a diving accident in the Feather River inQuincey (North California) led him tosustain a complete C3/4 quadriplegia.He has been unable to use his upperand lower limbs ever since. After hisrehabilitation at the VA hospital in LongBeach he began studying law at Pa-sadena City College. To fill his schedule,he opted for the optional subjects ofpainting and drawing. Consequently, hehad already established a basis formouth painting by 1971. Because hehad liked art from early childhood – an

interest which he nurtured rightthrough until the start of college – hechanged his major to art. Michaelpaints, draws and sculpts all the timeand has already had the opportunity totake part in numerous exhibitions andto organise his own private exhibitions.His works can be found in many privatecollections and he has won severalawards. He also devotes most of histime to lobbying for the interests ofdisabled people and their carers.

Masters, Richard Scott


Richard Masters was born in Rochester,New York, on 25 September 1989. Hecompleted his school education up tograde K-6 at Schlegel Road PublicSchool, and from the 7th to the 12thgrade at Boces / Schroeder High School.In 1994, at the age of 5, he was serious-ly injured in a car accident. Since thenhe has been paralysed from the neckdown and is now dependent on a venti-lator. He already began to take an inte-rest in painting when was in the fourthgrade and learned to draw and paintwith his mouth on the initiative of histhen teacher. Later on he took privatelessons in art and painting under theprofessional artist Deborah Sapienza.Richard mainly creates his still life pictu-res in bright colours and with textures.Uncompromisingly strong, vibrant brus-hstrokes became his trademark. One ofhis paintings was awarded with a silverkey at the “Scholastic Art Awards Ex-hibition 2008” in the State of New York.In addition, he painted portraits of po-pular US country singers such as TimMcGraw, Carrie Underwood, Toby Keithand Jason Aldean. He met all of thesecountry artists and personally presentedthem with his original paintings.

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New Student Members

May, Sara


Sara May was born in Valdosta, Geor-gia, on 6 October 1966. She graduatedfrom North Side High School andWestmark Community College. In 2005she was diagnosed with progressive,recurrent multiple sclerosis. Then, in2009, she had to give up her job becau-se she could barely walk any longer.Since then she can no longer use herhands and arms, and is now paralysedin all her limbs. Sara always likes to becreative. After doing some research onthe topic of mouth painting, she cameacross the VDMFK’s publisher in theUnited States. As a result, she openedup the path to a new career in mouthpainting by teaching herself to paint inOctober 2013. Later on she attendedthe “Hendrix College Governor’sSchool”, where she was able to developher artistic skills still further.

Robi, Kenzi L.

Date of birth: 4 March 1973Painting method: Mouth painter

Kenzi L. Robi was born in Los Angeleson 4 March 1973. He attended highschool and College. Kenzi suffers fromthe consequences of a shooting acci-dent which took place in December1992. He is now permanently paralysedas a C-4 quadriplegic from the neckdown. Despite the tragic incident, hehas managed to overcome a variety ofobstacles in circumstances where manyothers would easily have given up. Hedecided to paint with his mouth at St.Mary's Hospital in San Francisco in1993. His love of painting helps Kenzito cope with his situation: he expresseshimself on the canvas, occasionally sellsartworks and inspires others never togive up. In 2010 Kenzi won the “Natio-nal Disability Institute’s Real EconomicImpact Tour” competition. In addition,he was granted the rare privilege ofexhibiting his artworks at the NationalPress Club and even had the opportuni-ty to say a few words there when he

was awarded an achievements plaquefor his artistic success and his quest forfinancial independence. Kenzi alsoworks as a mentor for adults who haveto live with a sudden disability and helpsindividuals released from hospital to thecommunity so that they can live safe,independent and productive lives. Mo-reover, Kenzi is President of the Board ofDirectors of the “In-Home-Support-Services” (IHSS) state agency in SanFrancisco. He is an advocate for olderpeople and adults with disabilities inSan Francisco and in the State of Ca-lifornia. The staging of several exhibi-tions in California has enabled him tobecome a well-known figure among thegeneral public.

Scarbrough, Sharon L.

Date of birth: 22 July 1944Painting method: Mouth painter

Sharon Scarbrough was born in Dun-smuir, California on 22 July 1944. Spinalmuscular atrophy – a hereditary disorderin her case – caused her gradually tolose control of her hands and arms asthe disease began to have serious holdwhen she was 27. The disease has nowreached the stage that she can no lon-ger use her upper and lower extremitiesand now lives in the nursing home. Shetried painting with her mouth on herown initiative for the first time in 2013and was delighted by the experience.

Pérez Velásquez,José Gregorio

Date of birth: 7 November 1967Painting method: Mouth and footpainter

José Gregorio Pérez Velásquez was bornwithout arms and with club feet in ElTejero, Monagas, on 7 November 1967.He completed primary and secondaryschool. As a young boy, he learned touse his mouth and his feet not only tospeak and move about, but also for eve-ryday tasks. Furthermore, he taught

himself to write and acquired an arrayof artistic and handicraft skills. Hisrange of motifs includes local landsca-pes, lakes and the old houses and roadsin his village. In addition, he is a writer,composer and occasional presenter on alocal radio station.

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Readers’ letters

At work...

Painting has always accompanied mefrom early childhood; sometimes byusing my mouth, sometimes by usingmy feet, and sometimes even usingboth in order to paint a picture.

Flowers were always a source of inspi-ration for me. Their colours, theirforms and their vibrancy inspire me. Iregard them as a way of life... as aninducement to live even better and asa way to bring joy to the soul of theartist and the viewer.

Time passed. I have made art my pro-fession and expressed pure talent insubtly different ways. At the VDMFK Isuddenly noticed that my candles, myplaying around with Father Christmas,my coloured snow and even my floralmotifs have met with wide approval.It’s very nice to know that someone onthe other side of the world, or even onmy side, has selected a particularimage. My image! It’s a fantastic fee-ling, as if a child had finally experien-ced the recognition and appreciationof professionals.

I hope this letter acts as a source ofmotivation to my dear fellow artists.Paint whatever it is you enjoy, but alsodiscover other motifs such as Easter,Christmas and the miracle ofChristmas. With each newly paintedpicture I go back to being a child, Iplay with colours and hear the soundof bells ringing in my ears... bells thatawaken me to a different reality: to mycommitment to the VDMFK and to mycommitment to myself. This is the wayto ensure personal and professionalsatisfaction.

In any case, it certainly reaps itsrewards!

Maria Goret ChagasStudent Member from Brazil

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The significance of painting as seenby mouth painter Jingsheng Liu,Full Member from the People’sRepublic of China.

Painting gives me hovering wings

Iwas still a teenager when in the cour-se of carrying out a routine repair job

I unfortunately suffered an electricshock, as a result of which both myarms were amputated. This stroke offate cast me into deep despair. I felt asif I would now forever be in darknessand never find hope again.

But one day I managed to create acrooked symbol through my

attempts to hold a pen in my mouth. Itseemed to me as if a light had lighte-ned up my spirits again. I was convin-ced that for as long as I could hold apen I would be able to perform manyother activities. From that time on Ichanneled all my hopes and effortsinto my pen, as if a burning torchcould lead my soul from darkness intoa radiant dawn and move me awayfrom my trivial, insignificant worriestowards a broader world of art...

Like a flint which lights a torch anddissipates fears of the dark, which

repels the forces of confusion and

desperation, and which signifies a flagof hope, when I hold a pen with mymouth and feet and draw a clear line,my heart virtually explodes precisely atthis moment.

Having recovered from the sufferingcaused by my disability and from

the shock of losing my arms, I am nowable to release my hidden life energies.Although my toes might get blisters,my legs suffer from cramp, my gumsbecome swollen and my neck feel stiff,both at the front and the back, all thisstrengthens my hope. A brushstrokesimply means to carve a new life. Theassured execution of a brushstrokesimply means to gauge one’s will. Thecolour of a brushstroke simply meanstransforming passion into love – forintensive efforts lead to extraordinarysuccess.

You have to suffer an intense disap-pointment in life to truly learn to

appreciate what life is all about andaccept increasing sympathy with grati-tude. This also makes you long all themore for the splendid comfort of beau-

The significance of painting

Jingsheng Liu (Full Member/People’s Republic of China), “Tree inred blossom”, watercolour, 67x67 cm.

Jingsheng Liu, Full Member from the People’s Republic of China.

29

ty. You might easily find yourself enjoy-ing the glory of daybreak, being grate-ful for genuine friendship, marvellingat dancing flowers or listening to thesublime beauty of birdsong.

Coloured pens and crayons enableyou to immerse yourself fully in

true feeling, to paint the marvels oflife, to celebrate the joys of working,to praise the glory of love. Colouredpens and crayons give me floatingwings; they produce little, carefullymade works; and a sheet of what Ipaint on flies with me all over theworld and flies close to you.

There is no darkness or burden toshoulder. All that has been encoura-

ged is tempestuous passion. All thathas receded quietly and secretly is thespringtime glory of love. Humanity,friendship and hope are everything wehave enjoyed together.

We first met in laughter. Our eff-orts have resulted in unimagina-

ble energy and strength. Our hopeshave spread out colourful swingingwings; in the same blue sky, we fly –and we fly together.

Jingsheng LiuFull Member / People’s Republic of

China

The significance of painting

Jingsheng Liu

Date of birth: 30 November 1952Place of birth: BeijingFull Member of the VDMFK since: 2005Painting method: Mouth painter

Jingsheng Liu has always loved pain-ting. In 1978, he experienced a severeelectric shock while working whichmeant that both his arms had to beamputated. He turned to painting witha passion in order to start a new life. In1980 he returned to his former employ-er who employed him as a librarian inhis company. He also began to paintwith his mouth. Jingsheng focused first

on calligraphy. In 1985, he also joinedthe Federation of Calligraphy andPainting in the municipality of Beijing.He began painting delicate waterco-lours in the traditional Chinese style andwas awarded a scholarship by theVDMFK in 1988. At the same time, healso began studying at the University ofChangchun. In 1992 he became anAssociate Member of the Association.He continued his studies at the PaintingAcademy from 1994 onwards. Fiveyears later, he began studying calligra-phy at the Pedagogical Institute ofShoudu. At the current time, he is amember of the Chinese Association ofCalligraphy and Painting. Jingsheng

became a Full Member of the VDMFK in2005.Jingsheng has mastered the art ofChinese calligraphy and the traditionalChinese painting style which permitsbrushwork without taking details intoaccount. His pen work is simple, beauti-ful, and creative all at the same time. Heprefers to depict motifs from the animalworld. For the connoisseur of Chinesepainting, his pictures represent visualparables which reveal profound insightsinto life and the human condition. Hehas displayed his works at exhibitions inthe USA, Japan, Austria and Korea. Inaddition, he has staged solo exhibitionsat several places in China.

Jingsheng Liu (Full Member/People’s Republic of China), „Cock“,watercolour, 70x66 cm.

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Raftopoulos, Ilias

Date of birth: 10 May 1958Passed away on: 4 November 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Ilias Raftopoulos attended elementaryand grammar school, after which hestudied at the Athens art school from1979 to 1981. In August 1981 he wasinvolved in a serious accident in whichhe broke his fifth and sixth vertebrae.He was left a quadriplegic from thistime onwards. Ilias started painting withhis mouth in 1986. Just one year laterhe managed to take part in an exhibi-tion in his home village in Chania. Hereceived a scholarship from theAssociation in 1988, was awardedAssociate Member status in 1994, andbecame a Full Member of the VDMFK in1998. Ilias’ preferred motifs includedthe landscapes of his Greek homeland,which he painted in the bright coloursof his Mediterranean style. He also

enjoyed painting portraits. He used themethods of oil and watercolour pain-ting. His works were repeatedly shown

at home and abroad in solo and groupexhibitions. Ilias Raftopoulos passedaway on 4 November 2014.

Spahni, Klaus

Date of birth: 20 June 1940Passed away on: 4 July 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Klaus Spahni contracted polio at theage of nine, which left his arms and legscompletely paralysed from that time on.He discovered his joy of paintingthrough a physiotherapist in Zurich. Justa few years later he found himself stu-dying scientific illustration at the Schoolof Design in St. Gallen and took art clas-ses under a renowned painter to perfecthis skills in free painting. Klaus conti-nued his education in other Europeancountries, and honed his art in Rome,Paris, and Spain. Only a short time later,he became a member of the SwissProfessional Association for the VisualArts (VISARTE) and of the VDMFK. As aresult, he was given the opportunity tointroduce his works to a wide public. He

organised numerous exhibitions inSwitzerland, Austria and in cities all overthe world on his own, together with hiswife, and in groups as part of his activi-ties for VISARTE and the VDMFK. Today,many of his paintings are also on displayin the permanent collection of theMuseum of Fine Arts in St. Gallen.Painting served as the cornerstone ofKlaus’ work and activity. It enabled him“use lines, surfaces, colours and tonali-ties to move about on the canvas”, ashe put it. His physical freedom of move-ment was severely restricted by his para-lysis. “But on a canvas I can walk, skip,jump and dance”, Klaus used to say.Inspired by this “dance”, he felt com-pletely connected with life. He greatlyenjoyed the experience of workingintensely until a particular picture wasfinished and he felt extremely happywhen his works turned out the way hewanted them to. Klaus Spahni passedaway on 4 July.

We mourn for

Ilias Raftopoulos still managed to take part in the Delegates’ Conventionin Athens. This photo shows him at the opening of the exhibition. Hepassed away only a month later.

Mouth painter Klaus Spahni passedaway on 4 July 2014.

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May, Justice

Date of birth: 1 March 1968Passed away on: 8 October 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Justice May attended technical collegebefore starting an apprenticeship as anelectrician, but at the age of 18 hiscareer plans were suddenly interruptedby a diving accident. Due to the acci-dent he injured his spine between thefifth and sixth cervical vertebrae andremained paraplegic for the rest of hislife. He began drawing with his mouthless than two years later and eventuallylearned the art of painting with oils oncanvas and of painting with waterco-lours. From the start of his artistic careerhe attended various courses underrecognised art teachers. In 1989, Justicereceived a scholarship from the Asso-ciation. This enabled him to present hisworks to the general public at a seriesof exhibitions. After joining the VDMFK,he represented South Africa with tire-less commitment in the USA, where hisworks received various awards at anumber of exhibitions. He was inductedas an Associate Member in the Asso-ciation in 1995 and became a Full

Member in 2000. Justice was also amember of the Association of SouthAfrican Artists. An initial highpoint ofhis artistic career came in 1999, whenhe presented Nelson Mandela with a

portrait that he had painted of him withhis mouth. This gift led to numerousreports about Justice being published inthe media.

LaDow, Jeffrey

Date of birth: 2 February 1957Passed away on: 26 May 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Jeffrey Allen LaDow worked as a cardealer after he finished his school edu-cation. In 1975 he was involved in adiving accident which left him a quadri-plegic. He already knew about his talentfor painting before his accident. For thisreason, it was logical that he began totake up oil painting in 1982. Subse-quently, he completed courses underrenowned art teachers. He first receiveda scholarship from the Association in1986 and studied at the Milwaukee Art

Museum in 1991. It was on these cour-ses that he learned the techniques ofthe old masters. He became anAssociate Member of the VDMFK in1992 and a Full Member in 2003.Jeffrey’s paintings followed the tradi-tions of naive art but always featuredhighly idiosyncratic forms and ideas.The images he created were painted atone go with the highest concentrationand minutest detail. He was frequentlyable to show his works to a broad sec-tion of the public at solo and groupexhibitions. Furthermore, he organiseddemonstrations for elementary schoolpupils and college students. As well aspainting, Jeffrey also enjoyed tandemparachuting, which became his hobbyin addition to photography and carsports.

We mourn for

Justice May passed away on 8 October 2014.

Jeffrey LaDow passed away on 26May 2014.


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We mourn for

Student Members who have passedaway

Villagran, Rosalino

Date of birth: 18 July 1952Passed away on: 9 November 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

The mouth painter Rosalino Villagranwas born in Chile on 18 July 1952. Atthe age of 16 he was involved in aswimming accident which left him aquadriplegic. Rosalino began to teachhimself how to paint and draw beforegoing on to take lessons with art tea-chers at a later stage. He became aVDMFK Student Member in 1991.Rosalino mainly painted oil and tempe-ra pictures. Due to his disability themouth painter was only able to paint inbed. Rosalino Villagran passed away on9 November 2014.

Faleiros, Maria Aparecida

Date of birth: 31 October 1942Passed away on: 21 July 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Maria Aparecida Faleiros was born pre-maturely in the sixth month of pregnan-cy on 31 October 1942. She was bornwith physical disabilities which affectedher central nervous system and preven-ted her from moving about normally.She was intelligent, could read but wasunable to write due to her disability. Herquadriplegic condition meant that shewas completely unable to move or feedherself without the help of others. TheAssociation granted her a scholarship in2002. Maria Aparecida Faleiros passedaway on 21 July 2014.

Maslanka, Phillip

Date of birth: 7 April 1943Passed away on: 17 May 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Phillip Maslanka was born in Radway,Alberta / Canada on 7 April 1943. Hewas diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in1969. His arms and legs were complete-ly paralysed. A few years later he set outon his first attempts to paint with hismouth. The artist preferred paintinglandscape motifs. Phillip also took part ina number of exhibitions. He first becamea VDMFK Student Member in 1996.Phillip Maslanka passed away on 17 May2014.

Davies, Hayley

Date of birth: 29 May 1963Passed away on: 2 August 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Hayley Davies was born in Usk, Mon-mouthshire, on 19 May 1963. She hadalready qualified as a hairdresser whenshe was diagnosed with multiple sclero-sis in 1990. Due to the steady progres-sion of the disease she gradually lost theuse of her arms and legs until, eventu-ally, her limbs were completely paraly-sed. Because she had always had a flairfor art and was searching for a new wayto realise herself in life, a friend enabledher to discover the opportunity to paintwith her mouth in 2007. Animal motifsand a wide array of natural motifs pro-vided the main inspiration for her pain-tings. She became a VDMFK StudentMember in 2011. Hayley Davies passedaway on 2 August 2014.

Pike, Ray

Date of birth: 11 July 1966Passed away on: 20 May 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Ray Pike was born in Nottingham on 11July 1966. He attended primary andsecondary school. At the age of 16 hebroke a neck vertebra when he fellthrough a window. From that timeonwards, his legs and arms were leftparalysed. Even so, he attended a com-puter school and became a qualifiedprogrammer. On the advice of thera-pists, he embarked on his first attemptsto paint with his mouth and increasinglyperfected his artistic talent. The VDMFKfirst awarded him a scholarship in 1996.Ray Pike passed away on 20 May 2014.

Rainey, Edward

Date of birth: 8 July 1961Passed away on: 7 May 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Edward Rainey was born in Glasgow on8 July 1961. He attended primary andsecondary school in Glasgow. In 1985he was involved in a diving accidentwhich left him a quadriplegic. Before hisaccident, the mouth painter had onlybeen back one year from the army inwhich he had served a three-year tourof duty in Germany and NorthernIreland. Edward began teaching himselfto paint with his mouth in 1987. Hebecame a VDMFK Student Member in1991. In addition to painting, Edwardwas also deeply interested in religion.Edward Rainey passed away on 7 May2014.

Oda, Toshio

Date of birth: 25 February 1952Passed away on: 25 June 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Toshio Oda was born in Kita Kyushu,Fukuoka, on 25 February 1952. He con-tracted pneumonia on his first birthday

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and his accompanying high fever resul-ted in a cerebral palsy. As a result, henot only became unable to use any ofhis four limbs but also the ability tospeak. In 1961 he arrived at the“Komei” school, an educational institu-tion for children with disabilities inTokyo. His school education enabledhim to reach an academic level, butowing to his personal circumstances hewas no longer able to become a scien-tist. His art teacher advised him to learnto paint with his mouth. From 1972 hestarted painting under the instructionsand guidance of professional artists. In1975 he won a highly prestigious awardin Japan – the “NHK InternationalContest for Educational Media”. One ofhis works was displayed at a modern artgallery in 1976. He became a VDMFKStudent Member in 1979. The artistalways reflected his own personal stylein the works he created. Toshio Odapassed away on 25 June 2014.

Kim, Liang Hang

Date of birth: 20 November 1949Passed away on: 14 September 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Liang Hang Kim was born on 20November 1949. On 2 April 1972 hewas involved in a serious traffic accidentin which he fractured his C6-7 vertebrae(resulting in both his arms and legsbeing paralysed). In 1990 he was intro-duced to the world of art in the courseof his occupational therapy, but was notthat interested at first. It was onlythrough the encouragement of our latemouth painter Johnny Ang Yam Kwangthat Liang Hang began to paint with hismouth. The VDMFK first awarded him ascholarship in 2001. The artist chieflypainted a wide range of animal motifs. Liang Hang Kim passed away on 14September 2014.

Calitz, Jan H. E.

Date of birth: 8 March 1949Passed away on: 12 June 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Jan H. E. Calitz was born on 8 March1949. On 17 July 1970 he had a motor-cycle accident in which he fractured hisC5/C6 vertebrae. He first began toexplore the possibilities of painting in2000. Jan began to take private lessonsand developed a sublime passion forpainting. The VDMFK first awarded hima scholarship in 2004. His interest grewthe more he learned about art. Morethan anything else, the mouth painterJan H. E. Calitz wanted to reflect thebeauty of nature in his pictures.

Swanepoel, Johannes Bertus

Date of birth: 5 October 1964Passed away on: 4 October 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Johannes Bertus Swanepoel completedhis education in Pretoria and passed the8th grade. Afterwards, he served forone year in the police unit of the SouthAfrican Air Force. On June 17, 1983 hesuffered a spinal cord injury betweenthe 5th and 6th cervical vertebrae as aresult of an automobile accident. Thiswas precisely the day on which he wasdue to get his driver's license. Johanneswas a C5/6 quadriplegic from that timeonwards. His rehabilitation lastedaround two years. Johannes subse-quently worked for four and a half yearsas a senior executive for two differentcompanies before he got the chance torun his own company for two years. In1994 he was encouraged by his familyand friends to take up mouth painting.The VDMFK first awarded him a scho-larship in 1995. In 1996 he was admit-ted to a self-help centre for quadriple-gics, where he lived and worked forseven years. During this time he studiedart for five years before moving back toPretoria at the end of 2001. After that,he worked for three years at a mission

organisation. He worked with waterco-lours, oil paints and other mixed media.Above all, his preference was to workwith oil paints and charcoal. JohannesBertus Swanepoel passed away on 4October, just one day before his 50thbirthday.

Nakamura, Morris M.

Date of birth 5 January 1950Passed away on: 7 May 2014Painting method: Mouth painter

Morris M. Nakamura was born on 5January 1950. A carpenter and businessowner of 30 years’ standing, he wasdiagnosed with a progressive spinalatrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy,in 1989. As his physical disability increa-sed, he discovered his passion for oilpainting. Fascinated by the beauty ofnature, the mouth painter enjoyeddepicting landscapes and aquatic the-mes in his paintings. He became aVDMFK Student Member in 2006.Although he slowly lost the use of hismost important muscles, he continuedto believe that painting was a means ofstrengthening his self-awareness as anartist. Morris was also involved in the“How People With Disabilities CanWork On Their Own” initiative. MorrisM. Nakamura passed away on 7 May2014.

We mourn for


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VDMFK personalities

In this section we are honoured tointroduce you to mouth and footpainters who rendered outstandingservices to the VDMFK Associationin the course of its – now over 50years old – history. This timearound we present Corry F. Riet, amouth painter from the Nether-lands.

Corry F. Riet passed away on 11 No-vember 1958. So she was only a BoardMember of the Association for littlemore than 18 months after her electionto the position at the inaugural meetingof 19 March 1957. Corry was born ahealthy child in Zaandam on 16 No-vember 1924. Corry contracted polio atthe age of five and from that time onher arms and legs remained paralysed,which meant that she was now boundto a wheelchair. She attended disabilityschool in Rotterdam before settling inAmsterdam. Corry taught herself topaint with her mouth and loved captu-ring romantic landscapes on paper. Itwasn’t until 1944 that she returned toher native village of Zaandam, a suburbof Amsterdam, where she bought a

house in which she would often sit atthe corner watching the lively bustle ofthe street. Travel was also one of hergreat passions and took her to differenttowns and cities across the world. Sheexuded a tremendous joie de vivrewhich came across to everyone who tal-ked with her.

Corry was elected to the Board at the inaugural meeting of the VDMFK.

Corry F. Riet's works are among the oldest belon-ging to the VDMFK. She passed away 18 monthsafter the inaugural meeting.

Corry’s preferred motifs included landscape scenesfrom her native countryside.

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Barcia, Cesar Andres(Student Member)- Cesar Andres Barcia had the honour ofpainting the ‘Juan L. Vega’ award. Hewas also invited to the prize-giving cere-mony at which numerous well-knowncelebrities from Argentina and variousmedia outlets were present.

Moya, Maria Celeste(Student Member)- Maria Celeste Moya exhibited herworks in San José on 16 and 17 August2014. This exhibition aroused a greatdeal of interest because the mayor andthe local bishop also attended the ope-ning. In addition, she received an awardfrom the city council of Catamarca. Shealso took part with her works in an artfair which was held in the city on 14June 2014 and participated in the 11-day festival. As a result, her paintingswere viewed by over 500 visitors.

Paz, Rosa Mirta(Student Member)- Rosa Mirta Paz again took part in the‘PURO’ art exhibition which was held inthe city of Charata from 24-29 August.This time around she was accompaniedby Student Members Maria CelesteMoya and Sergio Adrian Hernan-dez. Numerous media outlets reportedon the artists’ involvement in this event.

Semaan,Agostina Antonella(Student Member)

- Agostina Antonella Semaan was invi-ted by Argentina's Permanent Missionto the United Nations in New York topresent the film ‘Mundo alas’ at theseventh conference of member stateswhich have signed up to the conventionon disability rights. Agostina Antonellawas also asked to organise a show. Thisfilm was screened in the presence ofambassadors and representatives ofvarious countries on 10 June. Next day,she gave a concert during which sheshowcased a portrait of the artist FridaKahlo in the presence of over 200 per-

sons, UN ambassadors and visitors.

Borges, Gonçalo A. Pinto(Associate Member)- Gonçalo A. Pinto Borges demonstra-ted his skills in front of over 900 chil-dren at a state school in the municipali-ty. Furthermore, he displayed his worksat the Fourth International Exhibition ofVisual Art as well as at the autumn andwinter exhibitions of the art company.

Nájera Carazo,Maria Eugenia(Student Member)

- Maria Eugenia Najera Carazo can lookback on a busy time filled with activities.For example, she took part in a collecti-ve exhibition at a modern art museumfrom 12 September 2013 to 15 January2014. She also participated in the ‘Ex-po-Arte’ show in the lobby of the 'Eu-roplaza' building from 6 May to 6 June2014. Maria Eugenia went on to pre-sent her works in the framework of a

permanent picture exhibition at the'Poderosas' movement and also gavevarious painting demonstrations andmotivational lectures at hospitals andschools.

Ramakrishnan, Narayan(Student Member)- Narayan Ramakrishnan presented hisfoot-painting art at the ‘Astha’ celebra-tions to preserve talents and uniquenesson 1 December 2013. This festival isheld by NGOs for children.

- The Associate Members Yusuf Ag-us, Sadikin Pard and Sabar Subadrias well as Student Member SalimHaram took part in the ‘Art Fair 2014’painting exhibition which was held inSurabaya from 3 to 12 October 2014.They made full use of the opportunityto exhibit many of their works and givepainting demonstrations which attrac-ted considerable interest among visitors

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- The two artists Kyriakos Kyriakou(Full Member/Cyprus) and LeandrosArvanitakis (Student Member/Gree-ce) had the honour of exhibiting theirworks in the Parliament of Cyprus on 5June 2013 and of giving a painting de-

monstration at the opening. The exhibi-tion was organised by the President ofthe Parliament of Cyprus, who also helda speech. Leandros Arvanitakis exhibi-ted 25 paintings and Kyriakos Kyriakousome 27.

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The two artists Kyriakos Kyriakou (on the right) and Leandros Arvanitakisduring the speech delivered by the President of Parliament.

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and in the media.

- The two Associate Members YusufAgus and Sabar Subadri took part inthe Yogyakarta art festival which wasorganised and staged by the Province’soffice of cultural affairs and whichlasted from 20 August to 9 September2014.

- The two artists Sadikin Pard (Associ-ate Member) and Benjamin TanBoon Chuan (Full Member) presentedtheir works at the 59th anniversary ofthe Foundation for the Development ofDisabled Children in the city of Malangfrom 24-29 March 2014.

Adir, Itzhak(Full Member)- Yitzhak Adir exhibited his works at agroup exhibition entitled ‘Woman’sVoice’. The exhibition was held in theAmiad Center, the biggest gallery in TelAviv.

Argalazi, Ronen(Student Member)- Ronen Argalazi opened a highly suc-cessful solo exhibition at the KibbutzHatzerim on 28 March 2014.

- The three artists Mario Barbujani(Full Member), Mario Cav. Barzon(Full Member) and Guido Chinello(Student Member) staged a groupexhibition at the villa of the Count ofPadua from 28 June to 2 July 2014 andgave a painting demonstration at theopening. The exhibition attracted a highnumber of visitors.

- The Italian artists Bruno Carati (FullMember), Tranquillo Fregoni (FullMember), Santina Portelli (FullMember) and Roberto Zomero (As-sociate Member) held a group exhibi-tion at the civic theatre of the Munici-pality of Nova Milanese from 18-28October 2014. This event was organised

by the independent painting academy.

Atzori, Simona(Full Member)- Simona Atzori had the great honour ofbeing granted an audience with the

Pope at which she presented him with aportrait of his Holiness which she hadpainted.

Cháidez López,Lidia da Jesús(Student Member)

- The artist Lidia de Jesús Cháidez Lópezwas awarded a prestigious prize by the‘Documentación y Estudios de Mujeres,A.C.’ (DEMAC) institute. She was awar-ded the prize for submitting the mostsensational life story. The story itself waswritten by her sister and published in abook.

Escalante Berea, Rosa María(Student Member)- Rosa María Escalante Berea opened asolo exhibition at the Faculty of Archi-tecture in Mexico City on 25 March2014. She exhibited 23 of her works ov-er the course of two weeks.

- The two Student Members BernardPesigan and Jason C. Delos Reyesexhibited their works at a national festi-val held in Calamba on 21 August2014.- The artists Amado Binwag Dulnan(Associate Member), John RolandFeruelo (Student Member) and Jo-vito Sasutona (Associate Member)gave painting demonstrations and pres-

ented their works at the ‘Culture andArt’ festival in the City of Antipolo andin order to promote tourism in themountain city.

Delos Reyes, Jason C.(Student Member)- Jason C. Delos Reyes held a solo exhi-bition at the Department of ForeignAffairs in Pasay City from 17-24 July2014.

Kmiecik, Stanislaw(Full Member)- Stanisław Kmiecik can look back on aseries of exhibitions and paintingdemonstrations which he staged fromOctober to December 2013. Simply bet-ween 14 and 30 November 2013 heexhibited 110 of his works at six diffe-rent venues in the town of Trzemeszno.Each exhibition lasted several weeks andthe artist gave demonstrations of hispainting skills at each venue.

Samblas Punzano, Restituto(Student Member)- Restituto Samblás Punzano held hisfirst solo exhibition from 1-15 April2013. It was entitled ‘Brushstrokes ofLife’ and took place in the town ofRoquetas de Mar.

Crouch, Wendy Paige(Student Member)- On 3 December 2013 Wendy PaigeCrouch was invited to take part in aspecial event to mark the InternationalDay of People with Disabilities. Sheexhibited her paintings and held aspeech at the event.

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Ko Shu (Full Member/Taiwan), ‘Colourful butterfly around a white flower’, watercolour, 31x31 cm.

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Information from the office

Submission of originals

The office of the Association kindlyasks all members to read and takenote of the following information.

All consignments of originals sent in tothe VDMFK are subject to inspection bythe Swiss Customs Administration(Liechtenstein is Swiss Customs Territoryand part of the Swiss Currency andEconomic Area). Import levy is imposedon all originals, which will be paid bythe VDMFK.As artists constantly send their originalsto the VDMFK we have commissionedthe forwarding agency DHL LogisticsAG, Switzerland, to handle this difficultmatter.

We therefore request you to sendall your parcels containing originalsto the following address:

DHL Logistics (Schweiz) AGDHL Freight Divisionz.Hd. Herrn Kurt Schäpper/VDMFK,SchaanHeldaustrasse 66, CH-9471 Buchs/Schweiz

Please keep in mind the followingpoints when you send in your paintings:-no framed paintings-no passe-partouts-no eye bolts or other hanging devices-no oil paintings that are not dry

Please write the following informationon the reverse of your original:NameCountryOriginal titleTechniqueon sale or not on sale

With your cooperation you save usadditional correspondence and consi-derably facilitate the work of theVDMFK.

Please send only originals to DHL butno correspondence, reports, photo-graphs, catalogues, biographies, etc.

All your correspondence etc. shouldbe addressed solely to the:

VDMFKIm Rietle 25P.O. Box 818FL-9494 SchaanPrincipality of [email protected]

Return of originals

Due to lack of storage we have toreturn the originals to our artists fromtime to time. We send back those origi-nals that have already been reproducedor motifs that are not needed for otherpurposes any more. The VDMFK doesnot need these paintings any more, soplease do not submit the returned origi-nals again. You can use your works foryour exhibitions or sell them. However,please take into account that the pur-chaser does not acquire the right toreproduce the original.For private sales please use the form ofthe VDMFK, which has to be signed bythe respective purchaser.

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Rome 1992: 8th Delegates’Convention

The Delegates’ Convention which washeld in Rome from 30 March to 3 April1992 played a particularly significantrole in the history of the Association. Onthe one hand, the Convention agreedto an extensive revision of the statutes.On the other, the audience with PopeJohn Paul II in St. Peter’s Cathedral mar-ked a highpoint in the history ofVDMFK. The Holy Father used theopportunity to exchange a few wordswith various mouth and foot paintersand to bless them. The conference focu-sed on a comprehensive revision of thestatutes, unanimously adopted by thedelegates, which expanded the possibi-lities of VDMFK membership. While theAssociation had only recognised Mem-bers and Honorary Members in theyears until 1992, the 1992 DelegatesConvention regulated possible member-ship on completely new grounds. ThusArticle 4 of the statutes was amendedas follows:

“The Association recognises the follo-wing forms of membership:

a.) Full Membersb.) Associate Membersc.) Honorary Members.”

Consequently, the status of “AssociateMember” was added to the possibilitiesof membership. No amendments weremade in regard to Student Members.The statutes of the time clearly stated:“In addition, the Management Boardhas the right to grant scholarships topersons who paint with their mouth orfeet, but who cannot be accepted asMembers of the Association on groundsof age, the quality of their pictures orfor other reasons.” The Delegates adhe-red to this long-standing rule in 1992. Afurther incisive change involved the pro-cedures for electing the President.During the presidency of Arnulf ErichStegmann the statutes explicitly statedthat he was elected to serve asPresident of the VDMFK for life.Following his death, a new rule wasintroduced which limited the tenure ofthe elected President to six years in eachcase. In 1992 the Delegates amendedthis in the ruling whereby “The Pre-sident shall be elected by the GeneralAssembly for a period covering the nextthree Conventions.” At the Conventionin Rome, Delegates were also called on

to elect a new Managing Board for thecoming years. As a result, it was neces-sary to elect a President once more.President Marlyse Tovae stood for elec-tion again. Since no request had beensubmitted for a written ballot to betaken, she was unanimously elected forthe second time as President by verbalballot. In the case of the election ofBoard Members, the requirement wasto fill the seat left vacant by the deathof Irene Schricker. In addition, a motionwas approved to extend the number ofBoard Members by one person. Afterthe previous Board Members ErosBonamini, Erich Macho and CharlesFowler had been confirmed in their offi-ce by acclamation, the Delegates elec-ted Ms Ruth Christensen, mouth painterfrom Denmark, and Mr Bruce Peardon,mouth painter from Australia, to theBoard by written ballot. In addition,Legal Consultant Dr. Dr. Herbert Batlinerwas confirmed in his office – just as hehad been at previous VDMFK Conven-tions and Assemblies. At the Delegates’Convention in Rome the VDMFK alsoheld an international exhibition whichdisplayed some 150 exhibits by mouthand foot painters from all over theworld. This exhibition was staged atPalazzo Ruspoli from 31 March to 20April 1992 under the patronage of theCity of Rome.

History of the VDMFK

During the audience, Spanish mouth painter Cristóbal Moreno-Toledopresented the Holy Father with a portrait he had painted of him.

The audience with the Pope mar-ked a highpoint in the history ofthe VDMFK. Here we see the HolyFather giving his blessing to BoardMember Ruth Christensen fromDenmark who was elected to theBoard for the first time in Rome.

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Painting school

Serge Maudet, VDMFK Presidentand mouth painter from France,reveals further tips and tricks aboutthe art of mouth and foot painting.

Buildings depicted in perspective

Draw a horizontal line about a thirdbelow from the top of the sheet andmark two alignment points (A and B) onit.

Draw an alignment line to the oppositecorner of the sheet (D).

Draw a second line starting at A andending at point D' via D.

Repeat this process, starting from pointB to points E and E'.

Draw a vertical line at the point of inter-section between lines A, D' and B, E'.

The red lines all meet at point A, analignment point. The blue lines all meetat point B, also an alignment point.They enable us to preserve the depth ofthe cube.

Mark the floors on the longest edge ofthe cube and add the red and blue lines.

By extending these lines, you’ll find theyall intersect at the vanishing points (Aand B).

Continue the exercise by putting variousbuildings in the form of cuboids of dif-ferent heights.

To give an impression of size, draw avertical line which is higher than the lineof horizon.

Starting from alignment points A and B,draw one line each to the tip of yourvertical line.

Now draw two more vertical lines, oneto the left and the other to the right ofthe first line.Draw the two edges at the top of thebuilding.Repeat the process for each buildingwith the desired sizes.

Note the highlighted section. Note theimportance which the alignments havefor realising the entrance hall of thebuilding.

Study the left side of our imaginary city.Draw a canal with four bridges. Ensureyou correctly place the horizontal andvertical lines.

In the next edition of the VDMFKInformation we shall explore in greaterdepth how best to follow the alignmentlines in order to achieve an apparentdepth through the bridges.

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Wolfgang Vrbica (Full Member/Argentina), ‘Wall with sheep and chickens’, tempera, 50x40 cm.

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Publishers’ activities

- The Canadian publishing house sta-ged an exhibition in Toronto from 18-26September 2014 at which over 50 pic-

tures and paintings by Canadian mouthand foot painters were on display. Theevent was attended by the artistsTheresa Helen Matthias (Full Mem-ber), Amanda Orichefsky (StudentMember) and Barbara Ann Winfield(Student Member) who also fieldedquestions from the media. The highpo-int of the opening of the exhibition wasthe speech delivered by Student Mem-ber and former high school teacher Bar-bara Ann Winfield in front of pupils inthe fifth grade (see photos). All eyesand ears were on her, and her wordswere listened to with great attention.Clearly enjoying all this, Barbara Annwent on to give a humorous presenta-tion to the delight of all those who hadthe privilege to be there.

- The Swedish publishing house held anexhibition from 9 November to 23 De-cember 2013 at which 50 works bySwedish mouth and foot painters wereon display. It bore the name ‘AutumnExhibition’ and took place in the galleryof the publishing house in Solna. Mostof Sweden’s mouth and foot paintersattended the event.

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- The German publishing house held itstraditional workshop in Potsdam’s‘Neues Palais’ from 2-6 September2014. The theme of this year’s eventwas ‘Colour – Worlds of Colour’. Nineof Germany’s mouth and foot painterstook part. They consisted of the FullMembers Lars Höllerer, GüntherHolzapfel, Thomas Kahlau andAntje Kratz, the Associate MembersMarkus Kolp and Markus Kostka,and the Student Members Wal-demar Merz, Renate Schaible-Kauf-mann and Petra Wenig. Greatlyappreciated was the fact that PresidentSerge Maudet travelled to Potsdam tospend a few days with the artists.

- The vast majority of the Singaporeanartists participated in the ‘SingaporeGift Show’ which was held from 9-11July 2014. Each of the attending mouthand foot painters gave a two-hour pain-ting demonstration which met withgreat interest.

- The Slovenian publishing house ope-ned an exhibition entitled ‘Flowers’ inthe Salus gallery on 3 April 2014. Mostof the 33 works on display were bySlovenian artists. The pictures could beviewed right through to 30 May andwere highly praised.

- An international exhibition was held inthe Slovenian town of Koper from 8August to 8 September 2014. On dis-play were works by Yitzhak Adir (FullMember/Israel), Mario Barbujani(Full Member/Italy), Vojko Gasperut(Full Member/Slovenia), Silvo Mehle(Associate Member/Slovenia) andBenjamin Žnidaršic (Full Member-/Slovenia). This exhibition arousedgreat interest in the local media. A TVstation broadcast a report on the ope-ning.

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- The Slovenian publishing house heldan exhibition entitled ‘Slovenian sites’ inLjubljana from 15 October to 7 Novem-ber 2014. A total of 24 works by theSlovenian artists were on display. EachSlovenian artist had been given plentyof notice to paint two pictures on thesubject of 'Slovenian sites'. The resultsculminated in a wonderful exhibition ofnew paintings. The exhibition meantthat the Slovenian publishing house(UNSU) was also able to celebrate twopremieres: on the one hand, the coun-try’s mouth and foot painters exhibitedtheir works for the first time as part ofthe well-known gallery lottery. On theother, this occasion marked the first ti-me in the history of the publishing hou-se that all eleven of Slovenia’s mouthand foot painters had gathered in thesame place at one time. The exhibitionproved highly popular and was seen byvery many people.

Publishers’ activities

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Photo below: The artist BenjaminŽnidaršič gives the manager of thegallery, Ms Katjuša Rojac (on theright), one of his works as a gift.Ms Klára Soós, office manager atthe Slovenian publishing house,can be seen on the left.

Many visitors attended the opening. The exhibitionwas well attended each day until it closed.

The exhibition was based around the theme of 'Slovenian sites'. Thepublishing house especially asked the artists to paint pictures on thistheme.

For the very first time in the 13-year history of the Slovenian publishinghouse, all eleven artists gathered at the same time for an exhibition ope-ning.

Documents

Broschüre Juli 2011 Deutschvdmfk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/VDMFK-Info-2014-12-en.pdfning museum of contemporary art in southeast England, staged an exhibition comprising 87 works