Meet Alex

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do. – Helen Keller

My cousin Alex Martin lives in Maryland with his parents Dan (my dad's younger brother) and Diana. He recently launched Alex's Art Loft as a place to tell his story and showcase his artwork, and I am blown away. Alex is only 16 years old and is such an inspirational guy.   

Here is an excerpt from his About Me page:

I am a person with autism who uses art to communicate. The art on the cards in my loft dates back to 1999 when I was only 6 years old. I have created artwork using many mediums, such as pastels, paint, chalk, markers, mosaics, fabric, stencils, stamps, and more. Last year I worked with charcoal and tolerated the black dust which got all over me. Since I have sensory problems, this was a breakthrough!

His site features his artwork and you can purchase his prints on everything from cards and invitations to mugs and t-shirts. And a portion of all proceeds goes to the organization of your choice. And you can even send his artwork as an email greeting for free. Very cool.

This is my favorite – it's called "Inside a Kaleidoscope":

Alex created a special card for Valentine's Day this year - to honor Tom. There's a really sweet Valentine's Day story behind it, but you'll have to go to Alex's website for the details. In the meantime, here's "Remembering Tom":

Here's another favorite:

And here it is on my squirt:

Be sure to check out the site at http://alexartloft.org/ and his fan page on Facebook. There are many more designs and he's always adding new ones – and don't forget to sign the guestbook to let him know you dropped by!

 Disability is not a brave struggle or 'courage in the face of adversity.'  Disability is an art. It's an ingenious way to live. – Neil Marcus