Today we’d like to introduce you to Desmond Blair.
Hi Desmond, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Desmond Blair and I am a Dallas-based artist that was born without hands. I was raised in the South Dallas Pleasant Grove area of Dallas. I’d have to say that it was my mother and grandmother’s belief in education that led me on my journey with art.
From the start my mother always believed that regardless of what some considered a “disability”, making sure I was educated and equipped to work my way through challenges would level the playing field for me. That desire for me to attend school just like anyone else is how I begin my journey with art.
Before I could attend school, I had to learn how to write. (And how do you write or hold a pencil/pen without fingers, right?) My grandmother worked with me to solve this problem. Our solution at the time was to learn how to color. If I could learn how to color, I would have the dexterity to be able to write. So, the summer, before I began school that’s what we did. I practiced coloring every day trying different things (using my feet, holding the crayons in my mouth, etc.,) until I finally figured out how to hold the crayons with both of my hands. It took some work but I colored every day until I could complete the books, she’d put front to back with no mistakes.
I guess it just so happened, as a by-product, after I’d started school, I realized I could draw the things I was looking at. From there the rest became history. I realized art gave me the freedom or space to exist without limitations or any pre-conceived notions that I often had to deal with growing up because of the way I was born. If I had a pencil, paper, ball-point pen, and eventually paint… I was free in that space. Art is what guided me through my grade school years and ultimately led to a feature in Jet Magazine in 1999 that exposed me to new opportunities with my art that I had never thought about.
After completing high school, I begin my undergraduate studies at UT Dallas at the age of 16. I studied in the school of Art and Technology with a focus on computer science, animation, and computer graphics. I continued my graduate studies at UT Dallas with the same areas of focus and completed my master’s degree at the age of 23. After beginning a career in Technology, I also begin painting again. I found that both practicing traditional art and having a technical career provided a balance that has helped me to continue to learn how to solve problems creatively. My passion for art now is driven by a desire to learn, tell stories through painting portraits, and encourage people to overcome challenges.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The path to where I am now has never really been smooth. It still isn’t. I’m still learning and growing each day. I’ve always had to learn to overcome challenges and find “my way” of doing things whether it’s art or everyday life.
I’ve had to learn how to adapt to the world around me without hands. When I was younger, it was learning things as simple as how to hold a fork and spoon, buttoning shirts/clothes, and even tying shoes. I think the hardest thing has always been entering new environments, both school and eventually work environments.
There’s always a notion that “disability” means that you are incapable of doing the same things as others. It is my hope to someday change that perception. I’ve had to adapt, learn to think creatively, solve problems, and work harder. Ultimately, “disability” hasn’t been a limiting factor for me, it’s forced me to find my own way. And I think for anyone that is born different, or that has a limb difference, that should to be the narrative. We learn to find our own way so that we can excel in the things that we are passionate about.
Even in my journey as an artist, I’ve had to find my own ways to evolve, grow, and learn new techniques/media in a way that works for me because of how I was born. That means adapting brush techniques, experimenting with different types of media, and even literally using my hands to paint at times. In addition, learning digital art/computer graphics provided a me with a new toolset for me to solve problems using creativity as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Although I have a career as an IT Project Manager, most people know me for my art. I specialize in painting portraits because I love capturing emotion, feeling, and allowing the portrait to tell a story about the subject. When I first got back to painting, about 10 years ago, it took some time for me to decide to focus on portraiture. But I love painting people and learning about them.
When I paint, I love to study the shapes and the intricacies that occur with light and shadow to create form. My medium of choice is oil paint. I love oils because I can take my time and work through my paintings almost like solving a puzzle. You can also revisit a painting and make changes at any time. However, over the past couple of years, I have started to incorporate acrylics, spray paint, and other materials into my paintings.
One recent thing I am most proud of? I completed my first solo mural last year. (Fall 2020) It’s located at J. Theodore in Frisco. I’d always wanted to attempt a solo mural so it was a huge milestone for me as an artists. It’s also exciting to be able to share your art in a public space.
I think the fact that I’ve learned how to paint without hands (irony) is only one of the things that sets me apart as an artist. What I am really after is capturing emotion, mood, and telling a story not only by using the subjects in my paintings but through the brushstrokes and underlying elements used to create my paintings. I still have a love for animation and gesture drawing and I think that shows through in my paintings. (My brushstrokes give it away.)
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
When it comes to finding mentors, I’ve been blessed with quite a few. I think the best thing you can do when seeking out mentors is to remain curious and willing to learn. I think it’s also good to reciprocate the time they give you by finding ways to help them in return.
I think the same goes for networking. The cool part about being an artist in Dallas is that it isn’t difficult to get connected with other artists. I think in networking it’s important to take the same approach. Always be curious and willing to both learn and share with those you meet. Always remain humble because there is always something to learn.
Contact Info:
- Email: desmond.blair@gmail.com
- Website: https://pencilonpapergallery.com
- Instagram: d_blair
- Facebook: Desmond M. Blair
- Twitter: d_blair
- Other: For purchasing art or other inquiries please contact Pencil on Paper Gallery. (https://pencilonpapergallery.com)
