[Art_beyond_sight_educators] George Mendoza fabric line

[Lisa Yayla]

Westminster Fibers <http://www.westminsterfabrics.com/pub/designers.jsp> 
is one of the leading producers of high quality 100% cotton, flannel, 
fleece, poplin and other fabrics. Their talentend trendsetting artists 
include well known artists (and /Threads, //SewStylish 
<http://www.craftstylish.com/sewstylish>/ and/or /CraftStylish.com 
<http://www.craftstylish.com>/ authors) such as Kaffe Fassett 
<http://www.kaffefassett.com/Home.html>, Amy Butler 
<http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/main.php?fl=0>, and Anna Maria Horner 
<http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com/> to name just a few. Their latest 
fabric line was created by George Mendoza 
<http://www.georgemendoza.com/> a blind artist affiliated with Art of 
Possibility Studios <http://www.aopstudios.com/>. This studio is the 
only for-profit art publishing and licensing brand exclusively 
representing physically disabled artists with the goal of providing them 
with recognition and income opportunities. Ketra Oberlander 
<http://www.droolingcat.com/people/ketra/>, founder of Art of 
Possibility Studios (herself a blind artist) admists that "it's 
incredibly rewarding to license George's fine art into practical 
applications, such as this fabric collection, which will touch and adorn 
so many lives around the world."

George Mendoza is not only an award-winning artist, he's also an author, 
athlete, and motivational speaker who has touched the lives of many. He 
tells a wonderful story that inspired one of his paintings:

/"What color is the Wind?" I was fifteen, and a little girl named Debbie 
who was born blind, who had never seen the color green or the shape of a 
tree, asked me a question after the wind blew through her long brown 
hair. "Can you tell me, what color is the wind?" That question just blew 
my mind because I was just losing my sight then. She woke up my creative 
sense by asking me that question...When I started having this eye 
problem, I was upset with these visions, the dazzling colors. I talked 
to a priest at the Holy Cross Retreat. "Paint them," he said, "Make 
designs, pictures out of them"./