Art knows no boundaries, and it certainly does not know any hinderances either. This especially applies to 50-year-old Tom Yendell, who, despite being specially-abled, has not given up his passion for painting – going on to make quite a name for himself.
According to The Daily Mail, Yendell was born without hands, a result of his mother consuming the drug Thalomide when she was pregnant. One out of just 466 babies with this condition survive this – and he has not let it come in the way of him becoming a world-renowned artist.
Thalidomide was just one of those things that happen in life. You can’t do anything about it, so it is better to get on with life and try and be a positive person.Tom Yendell to The Daily Mail
On his website, Yendell says that his life has been no different than any able-bodied person, except that he has had to adapt to doing every task with his mouth, feet or chin.
Yendell, a professional artist for 30 years, told The Daily Mail that he had started scribbling and painting by the time he turned four.
His own studio, built according to his specific requirements, has been the centre of creation of many great works of art, some of which, apart from walls, adorn cards and wrapping papers. This has been possible through the help of the Mouth and Foot Painting Association (MFPA).
It has not always been easy for him to produce art. “I occasionally get cramp or muscle ache after a long period of painting because you tense up when working on very intricate sections. I’m not the most prolific of artists, preferring to spend a few solid days working on a piece than rush it,” Yendell told The Daily Mail.
But he carries on nevertheless.
I don’t let anything stop me. Someone once described me by saying I wouldn’t play cricket for England, but I would probably play football for Spurs. That’s always been my attitude – just because one door is closed another will be open.Tom Yendell to The Daily Mail
(With inputs from The Daily Mail)
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