Artist Shawn Belanger
The drawings of this talented 24-year-old from Calgary, Alberta, offer insight into the way his fascinating mind works.
Nancy Belanger had no idea that her son Shawn had a talent for art when he first began to draw. Shawn was diagnosed with a developmental disability when he was 2 ½; it was three years later before he received the diagnosis of autism. As a six-year-old, Shawn's artwork was unremarkable – and though his continued attempts produced hundreds upon hundreds of drawings, there was no real indication that Shawn had unusual talent. Still, Nancy knew how much he loved to draw, and she was committed to encouraging him in every way possible -- though she had no way of knowing what that would mean. To read Nancy's account of her son's development as an artist and to see samples of Shawn's earliest drawings, CLICK HERE.
"The one thing I am quite sure of is that Shawn has shown us how he sees the world. The detail that he puts in his work leads us to believe that he does not see the big picture; he sees each and every detail." -Nancy Belanger, Shawn's mom
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Shawn's art has been featured in the book Drawing Autism by Jill Mullin. His work titled "Walking Sticks" is on the cover of Adult Life with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Self Help Guide, published by Autism Calgary Association. He also has entered works in Balancing Acts, a yearly disability arts festival in Calgary, for the past four years. Last year, he was awarded a "best in show" at the festival for the first time, for his picture "Home Street Home." He has created logos for a few autism groups in Calgary and has donated pictures to charity events. Shawn also sells prints of his work, both on on paper and on canvas. Anyone interested can contact the family through Shawn's website. Shawn will also be happy to create original artwork from photographs.
LINKS:
http://markbattypublisher.com/blog/news/drawing-autism-featured-artist-shawn-belanger/
