East Keilor resident Bill Mooney has triumphed over adversity to become a world renowned mouth painting artist. 71140 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
BY NATALIE GALLENTI
WHEN Bill Mooney broke his neck at 16, life looked bleak.
The aspiring athlete dove into a lake close to his West Meadows property and hit his head on a stack of used oil drums, leaving him paralysed from the shoulders down.
He has been in a wheelchair ever since.
And it wasn’t until he discovered painting that he could finally see a brighter future.
“As a 16-year-old athlete a broken neck in a diving accident seemed liked the end of the world,” Mr Mooney said.
“Then one day at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, where I was a resident, an occupational therapist got me interested in painting with the mouth.”
He spent years practicing writing and drawing with a pen, giving him the ability to hold the brush steady in his mouth and then began tinting some old prints of early Australia with water colour.
The 70-year-old is now a celebrated artist and will be exhibiting his artwork at the upcoming Mouth and Foot Painting Artists exhibition in Newcastle this month, where 150 artworks from Australian and International MFPA artists will be on display.
The MFPA was established in Australia 40 years ago and has 80 members across the globe, of which Bill is one.
The humble grandfather said his success proved that many people with a disability could still lead normal lives and even earn a healthy living.
“I really encourage people with a disability to do different things.
“There’s always something you can do.”
His proud wife, Irene, said the family has been supported by Bill’s earnings from paintings and amazingly he has never received a disability pension.
“It’s a creative outlet for Bill,” Mrs Mooney said.
“He’s changed a lot of peoples’ lives.”
