Pictures From A Typewriter (Phenomenal Patience!)

March 3, 2011

He lived at Rose Haven
Nursing Home ( Roseburg,OR ) for years. Paul
Smith, the man with extraordinary talent was born in
Philadelphia 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
resembles pencil or charcoal
drawings.”

This great man passed
away on June 25, 2007, but left behind a collection
of his amazing artwork that will be an inspiration
for many.

(These pictures are unbelievable.
Strange we should just now be hearing about him.
Hope you enjoy
them as much as I
did.)