Nov 11, 2013

Just A Typewriter


He lived at Rose Haven Nursing Home ( Roseburg , OR ) for years. Paul Smith, the man with extraordinary talent was born on September 21, 1921, with severe cerebral palsy. Not only had Paul beaten the odds of a life with spastic cerebral palsy, a disability that impeded his speech and mobility but also taught himself to become a master artist as well as a terrific chess player even after being devoid of a formal education as a child.

"When typing, Paul used his left hand to steady his right one. Since he couldn't press two keys at the same time, he almost always locked the shift key down and made his pictures using the symbols at the top of the number keys. In other words, his pictures were based on these characters ..... @ # $ % ^ & * ( )_ . Across seven decades, Paul created hundreds of pictures. He often gave the originals away. Sometimes, but not always, he kept or received a copy for his own records. As his mastery of the typewriter grew, he developed techniques to create shadings, colors, and textures that made his work resemble pencil or charcoal drawings."

This great man passed away on June 25, 2009, but left behind a collection of his amazing artwork that will be an inspiration for many. 

You know that saying about "When life closes a door, God opens a window"? Well, I think God just helped this man build a whole new house.


10 comments:

Unknown said...

The art that this man was able to do on his typewriter is amazing!

Madalina said...

I've never thought that I would see a reproduction of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa done at a typewriter. Amazing!

Unknown said...

I don't know how this man did it, but this is sheer amazing!

Nico said...

This is so amazing, his artwork is just incredible including the fact that it is he has done this on his typewriter makes it even more amazing.

penni d said...

This guy never knew the word "handicapped". This is great art!

Unknown said...

Wow! These pictures are incredible. I can't even begin to imagine how he managed to create them, especially in his condition.

Unknown said...

Wow! I would of never even imagined he did this with a typewriter.

Unknown said...

A man who lets no one say it can't be done! Paul is a man who lets nothing stop him. Awesome!

Unknown said...

It is really hard to believe that these are done with a typewriter! This man had talent that was simply incredible!!

Unknown said...

The pictures that this man was able to make with a typewriter is sheer talent beyond what a lot of people can comprehend!