Mouth and Foot Painting Artists road show hits Porirua

Mouth painting artist Kerrin Tilley is one of 12 artists preparing for a travelling exhibition which starts in Porirua at the Bottle Creek Gallery on Thursday, 9 September 2010. The two and a half week exhibition will be opened by Mayor Jenny Brash and will showcase artworks by MFPA members from around the country.

Kerrin Tilley has submitted four paintings with a variety of subject matters for the exhibition. One of his paintings showcases the Cardrona Hotel which Kerrin painted from a photo which was taken during a trip around the South Island three years ago.

“Unfortunately many of the photos I took on my trip around the South Island were lost, however I have been able to cherish the amazing holiday by turning one of my photos into a painting,” said Kerrin Tilley.

Kerrin will be speaking at the exhibition at 12:15pm on Friday, 10 September about how he became involved with the MFPA.

Kerrin began painting with a brush held in his mouth in 1988 after suffering a neck injury while playing rugby. He has been a member of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA) and an Opotiki Society member since 1992, and is now an associate MFPA member.

Fellow MFPA members Grant Sharman, Grant Philip and Murray Cohen will also attend the the Porirua exhibition which will finish on 26 September 2010. Other locations include Cloisters Gallery in Christchurch in July, the Thornton exhibition in Hamilton in November, the Pukekohe exhibition in Auckland in November and the Super Clinic exhibition also in Auckland in December.

Founded in 1956 by a group of European artists, the MFPA is a self-help organisation which gives people with disabilities the opportunity to fulfil their creative ambitions while still maintaining financial independence by selectively selling their artworks.

The MFPA was established in New Zealand in 1961 and currently has 20 members.

To become a student member an artist must qualify by painting using a brush held in either their mouth or foot, having lost the use of their hands through an illness or accident. Student members receive scholarships for art supplies and tuition. Once an artist becomes a full member or associate they are guaranteed a salary for life, even if they are unable to continue painting.

Released for Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA) by Dennis Rutzou Public Relations (www.drpr.com.au)