Tony Ryals, Jacksonville
Member Since March 2011
Artist Statement “Never Give Up” is the key message, Tony wants to leave in your heart and soul, a dedicated artist adding feelings, beauty and Hope to all those who see him and his work.
“Pictures on your walls should have special meanings to you, I feel photos and paintings tell the story about your thoughts, your life. Artwork makes an average dwelling place into a Home.” Not only are Tony’s pictures beautiful and intricately detailed, but he also includes a brief, but powerful, Positive Message on the back of everyone of Tony’s pictures, to encourage all others to “Never Give Up”.
All of Tony’s paintings and drawings are created the only way he can, by grasping brush’s or fine line pens and pencils in his MOUTH. If his paintings and drawings could talk, they would tell you about the job of overcoming many obstacles and challenges. Even his own doctors are constantly amazed at what he has accomplished. Therefore, that’s why Tony says “Never Give Up” no matter what!
Now that you have an idea of his message it’s time to learn and share his new word of the day, although it should be a new word in life, it’s called Diff-Ability, short for different abilities. Every person has different abilities. You cannot think of too many words that begin with those three letters dis that are positive. Dis implies the negative, for example, words like discouraging, disheartening and disadvantaged only focuses on your limitations why put a negative tone in the beginning of a person’s condition, isn’t that disturbing? Tony says, “That a disability is surrendering to your own problems, we all have some kind of limitations”. Moreover, Tony feels a Diff-Ability shows that we all have the chance and the same ability to Give and Offer others help, Tony wishes that the word Diff-Ability would make the word disability disappear.
In 1959, Tony was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a birth defect called Arthrogrypososis, which locks up all of the joints in his arms and legs. This extremely rare condition left his limbs virtually useless. Less than two years old Tony was taken in as a foster child of the Jack and Evelyn Ryals family of five. This was the beginning of many miracles to come without the use of his arms for reaching or hands to play with toys, he developed amazing dexterity and coordination using only his Mouth and neck muscles. With his new family’s love and encouragement Tony was soon bringing home sketchy figures in simple elementary drawings of pets, places, family members, or anything that is stuck in his mind. This activity became his favorite Outlook to express his feelings it was like Tony’s Hopes and Dreams on canvas.
Click to save as artist's preferred kit 
