Ahipara mouth painter Kevin Griffiths’ latest international artwork

Ahipara mouth artist Kevin Griffiths with his artwork On the Prowl that will feature in a calendar which is included among the Christmas products being sold throughout Australia and New Zealand by the Mouth and Foot Paintings Artists.

His love of wildlife was the inspiration for Ahipara mouth painter Kevin Griffiths’ latest artwork to feature in an international collection.

Griffiths, who paints by holding the brush in his mouth, has his painting On the Prowl featured in a calendar which is included among the Christmas products being sold throughout Australia and New Zealand by the Mouth and Foot Paintings Artists (MFPA), an international art group which has 850 members in 84 countries throughout the world.

“There is something about tigers that catches my eye when I see them. This is the second tiger painting I have done now,” Griffiths said.

It’s the latest in a string of works he’s had on products for MFPA products, including calendars and postcards.

The selection of the pictures for the products for the Christmas range is made by a panel of European experts. This year’s range includes paintings by six New Zealand artists who have once again ‘punched above their weight’ to be successful against artists from so many countries.

Griffiths has been mouth painting for over 25 years after he broke his neck and lost the use of his hands in a swimming accident as a 13-year-old.

Following his accident, he continued his education and became interested in various forms of art, which inspired him to travel extensively throughout the world. In 1991 Griffiths was awarded the Bruce Hopkins Memorial Award, a competition that started over 20 years ago to commemorate Bruce Hopkins’ contribution to the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists and artists with disabilities throughout New Zealand.

On the Prowl, the latest artwork by Ahipara mouth artist Kevin Griffiths to feature in an international Christmas calendar.

The Mouth and Foot Painting Artists gain their income through the sale of products illustrated with their paintings and although this started with Christmas cards, today it includes a wide list of products ranging from special occasion cards, jigsaws, tea sets, address books, calendars, Christmas serviettes and placemats, gift tags and wrapping paper. Founded in 1956 by a group of European artists, the MFPA is a self-help organisation that 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 25 members around the country. 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.

For more information, or to order artworks, go to www.mfpa.co.nz/ .