The Arts R 4 ALL of Us!!

Check out this amazing, hyper-realistic portrait drawn with pencil. Pretty incredible, right? Now, imagine having to draw it without the ability to use your arms. Yes-it's true! This piece of art was created by just one of many very talented artists out there that have not let either physical or emotional challenges and obstacles get in the way of creating their art. This post highlights 5 incredible artists that you just have to check out. Their artworks and their determination will inspire and amaze you.

Mariusz Kedzierski is a Polish born artist and motivational speaker. He was born without arms, yet has amazed and inspired many by creating his hyper-realistic drawings(he also created the portrait of the young boy with glasses above). His artwork is known world-wide and has also sold in many places around the globe. He often can be found drawing outside in the streets of major cities--allowing people to watch him create his lifelike and very meticulous portraits. You can watch a short video of him here.

Stephen Wiltshire is an international artist, known for his amazing photographic memory and very detailed artwork. He was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old, and is an "autistic with savant syndrome," which is a condition where a person with a developmental neurological disorder(such as autism), exhibits exceptional skill in a certain field. These skills can include prodigious drawing ability, visual memory, the ability to replay music by ear, memorizing large numbers, and having exceptional language skills. You can watch a short video that tells more of his incredible story here. And, if you can't get enough of watching him creating his elaborate panoramic drawings, you can also watch this full documentary about Stephen and his art called, Billions of Windows.

Iris Grace was just 2 years old when she was diagnosed with a severe form of autism, her parents were told that she might never speak and be non-verbal. In an interesting sequence of events, a cat named Thula came into this little girl's life, and they became fast friends. Thula helped Iris find comfort, as well as helped to inspire her to express herself by painting. Now her paintings are sought after worldwide, and she has found her own unique way to express herself--not through words, but through creating art. You can watch a short inspirational video about Iris and Thula here.

Before you read any further, look carefully at this picture and think, what might have been used to create this art? Believe it or not, Paul Smith created his now famous artworks by using his typewriter! And yes, the painting above, The Old Mill, is one of his hundreds of typewriter creations. He was born with cerebral palsy, which left him with severely limited movements. But it did not prevent him from finding a unique way to let his creativity flow. You can watch here to learn more about his story and see him in action with his typewriter.

Peter Longstaff is an artist who paints with his feet! He was born without arms due to his mother taking Thalidomide, a drug prescribed in the late 1950's to help with morning sickness during pregnancy. It resulted in many serious physical malformations in newborns. Yet, this did not stop Peter from learning to do the many every day tasks that people do with their arms. In fact, he considers his right foot be just like the right hand of most people. He worked as a pig farmer for many years, and turned to art after he retired from farming. The subject matter of his artwork is mostly landscapes.

The 5 artists highlighted here are just a few of these types of stories--there are many more, some perhaps, even in your own community. If you'd like to see more of these amazing artists, click here. You can also watch this short and very heartwarming video, Art and Soul, from the Creative Growth Art Center, in Oakland, California. By the way, did you know that in the southern Wisconsin area, we have an organization that is very similar to this one? It's an amazing program called, ARTS for ALL, located in Madison, WI. They can always use donations for supplies, volunteers, and they even have a small gallery where artist's work is displayed--sometimes you can even buy some of the artwork. These special artists, programs, and all the artwork that they create is truly a celebration of how the arts give people the ability to express themselves in unique ways, and help to show us all, that the ARTS R 4 ALL of us!!