Water Colors & Mouth Stick Painting
Cindi Bernhardt

Monet's Garden

"My disability has forced me to discover a gift from God I didn't know I had. I used to express myself through dance; losing that can make you feel dead, but now I have another creative outlet—my painting."

— Cindi Bernhardt

One of the most inspiring people I've ever spoken to, disabled or not, is Cindi Bernhardt. At the tender age of 18, just after starting college, she had a tumbling accident that caused quadriplegia. The accident curtailed her career in dance and gymnastics, not to mention losing most of her ability to move. Even so, Cindi has always continued to thrive, creating new ways to express her spiritedness, and that has led her to her gift.

After learning in rehab to hold a pen in her mouth to sign her name, Cindi went on to discover art in all medias: pastels, acrylics, even oils. Currently, her favorite is watercolor painting.

Cindi uses a paintbrush with an extender—soft plastic tubing, such as dental tubing, to extend her reach and protect her mouth. Through years of practice Cindi has developed a strong jaw so she can work for a couple of hours at a time. She moves her head to paint the longer strokes of a background or sky, and uses her teeth to manipulate the brush for all other detail. Cindi uses an assistive device, a mouth-stick, to answer the phone, use her computer, turn pages, and position her canvas.

In 1991, Cindi (a California girl!) became a member of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (AMFPA), with members in the United States and around the world. Cindi is commissioned to paint beautiful watercolor paintings and she earns a living from her art. Her paintings now hang in private collections throughout the United States, Sweden and Russia. You can visit Cindi's Web site to see some of her other work at: http://www.newla.com/cindibernhardt.

Hands

"Art has allowed me some financial freedom and it's made me approachable to non-disabled people who can talk to me about my paintings."

Among Cindi's many accomplishments, she sold a painting to the late commissioner of the Olympics Committee, and Cindi participated in the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Torch Relay. Cindi also had one of her paintings—a poignant, weeping, American eagle used as a tribute to the victims and rescue workers of 911 by AMFPA. A print of the eagle went into 730,000 issues of the New York Times newspaper!

Cindi continues to study painting in art classes and she also keeps busy doing motivational speaking at schools, churches, and other venues. (Who is better qualified?!) As payment for these engagements, Cindi only asks for lunch and gas money, because she wants to give back to the community that anchored her during her recovery. And the community continues to stand by Cindi, raising the money over a two-year period, to purchase an accessible van.

Art will not be the only gift Cindi shares with the world; it's clear she has many more gifts within her that will continue to emerge and inspire.