disabled artist: matt sesow

[se...@netscape.com]

i have enjoyed reading the messages on this forum... in hopes of finding
artists with similar experiences and
styles as my own. i thought you may be interested in part of my story:

i am a self taught artist that turned to painting as a result of severe
childhood trauma and repetitive adult experiences magnified by the
uneasiness of my physical appearance.
my art began at age 8 following near death experience involving a
landing airplane that subsequently severed my left arm.
my paintings continue to reflect the feelings of being an "outsider",
but not in
the traditional sense of "outsider artist" (i think). i have an
outwardly happy sense of being -- painting provides a necessary
therapeutic release for dealing with the emotional pain of having a
disability. while some of my paintings are gloomy or angry
representations of my predicament, others (to me) are triumphant
accomplishments of joy that have given me a true feeling of being and
worth. i try not to dwell on my disability with my paintings -- while
some are obvious emotional outbursts, many are meant to soothe or bring
the viewer to a heightened understanding.

there are some examples of my work on the internet at
http://members.aol.com/sesow/index.htm
if you'd be interested in seeing them.

thanks,
matt sesow