A high school football injury left Robert Thome a quadriplegic. In 1984, he joined Mouth and Foot Painting Artists, a for-profit group that markets the work of disabled artists, mostly to greeting card and calendar publishers. In 1997, the Whittier resident became a full member of MFPA, which gives him a monthly income for life. Using a paintbrush he holds with a “mouthstick,” Thome, 50, has completed about 1,000 paintings.
“My two favorite things in the world as a kid were art and sports. After I was hurt, the mouthstick was part of my equipment with the wheelchair. In order to get mainstreamed, I had to learn how to write checks, sign contracts, normal business stuff. It took me about two weeks to learn how to write my name and two years to do a decent portrait.
“I turned professional about 1980. It started off with just disabled shows, and then I did other shows. I won awards even though no one knew I was disabled.
“Mouth and Foot Painting Artists is very popular around the world. Here in the United States we are relatively unknown. We have 700 artists in the world, 52 of which are American. We mail them the images, they choose what they want, and then they present them to 62 publishers around the world.
“The MFPA is the only organization owned and run by disabled artists. There are only 100 life members. We determine all the policies, the allocation of funds, new publishers. I get a substantial salary.
“To get picked for a card or a calendar or lithograph is really a tremendous honor. They’ve only produced two of my images. But I am the company, and whatever makes the company do well, I am pleased with that.
“I’m sitting really pretty right now. I just bought a new house. I pay my taxes. I don’t have to worry about handouts anymore. I’m really my own guy and the association made that possible. They find value in what I do and not too many people would give me a break like that. A guy like me, severely disabled, nobody is going to give me chance like that, and this association does. They really value what I do and they pay me accordingly.
“For an artist, the brass ring, the pearl, the jewel, is to make a living at what you do. And I’m doing it.”
Eric Berkowitz
