Flying Colors: The Story of a Remarkable Group of Artists and the Transcendent Power of Art

By Tim Lefens

Book Overview

Ten years ago, Tim Lefens was introduced to a group of severely challenged students living at the Matheny School in New Jersey. None of them could walk, only one of them could talk, and all lacked the use of their hands. As a painter facing the gradual loss of his own eyesight, Lefens had come to fully appreciate the power of art, and he was determined to enable the students to paint despite their physical limitations.

Flying Colors is an immensely inspiring story about leaping over obstacles. It is a story of friendship, courage, and the dream that brought a group of forgotten people into the heart of life.

"Art transforms the lives of a group of profoundly disabled individuals. . . . A vivid reminder that one teacher truly can make a difference." --Kirkus Reviews

"An intensely moving memoir . . . unsparing and inspiring." --Publishers Weekly

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807031038
• ISBN13: 9780807031032
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Beacon Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Will blow you away!

Everyone on my gift list is getting a copy.Whether or not you have any experience whatsoever with the world of disabilities or the world of art, this is one profoundly inspiring story. It will challenge even the most ingrained misperceptions about people with difAbilities.From my perspective as the parent of a young son with difAbilities, I can clearly see the impact that the methods of creative expression pioneered by A.R.T. will have on all aspects of his life. We're going to get started right away. There's a soul to unleash!There are so few heroes in today's world. Tim Lefens is one of them.

A "Must Read" for Everyone

Everyone I know who has read this book has used the same words...inspiring, moving, uplifting-and they are all true. But its more than that. Its a story of a remarkable group of people who became a group and produced marvelous creations. The amazing thing is that the students were basically people of whom nothing much was expected. Yet, they had so much to say, if only they could learn how to express themselves. Tim Lefens gave them a way to do it....and the results are amazing. I have been to some of the shows and met some of the artists, and came away awed both by the beauty of their work and their justifiable pride in their accomplishments. In a way it made me sad though-imagine just how many other people are out there who are in the same position these artists were in before Mr. Lefens came into their lives. Reading this book made me realize that you should never, ever assume that someone can't do something because they have some kind of disability. They CAN do most things...they just may need to do it in a slightly different way. There is a lesson in this book for all of us. Despite the fact that the book is inspirational, it is not inspirational in a "preachy" sense of the word. Its a good, fun, interesting book to read, and its a book I have been recommending to many friends and one that I may give as a Christmas present this year as well. So one, go out and read this book, and two, try to catch one of these shows-you won't regret doing either.

A Journey of the Mind! Two-Thumbs Up!!

Tim Lefens may suffer from failing vision but his artistic sense is visionary. His techniques deserve to be broadcast across the nation and around the world - they give the power of expression in its purest form to those who have been profoundly denied that opportunity through no fault of their own.The interplay between Lefens and The Matheny School & Hospital provides an entertaining counterpoint to the personal growth of the disabled artists: two forces who are very good at what they do, both jealously committed to the welfare of their charges and uncompromising in their belief of rectitude. It is a shame they cannot rejoin forces - they are opposite sides of the same coin.If you have the chance to view the exhibitions of these artists, do not pass the opportunity by. You will have glimpsed the unquenchable fires that spark our humanity.

A must read

For those who have a big case of the "I can'ts" this book will help you realize you can do more than you think can.The true story of Tim Lefens work with the physically handicapped, this book is an inspiration.Lefens, an artist, had never taught, but started an art class for people in wheelchairs. Most were not able to move their hands. He started out by putting canvas on the floor, painting over it, then put a plastic sheet over that. The patients then would roll their wheelchairs over it to create abstract art.This led Lefens to try other methods on the cerebral palsy patients. He found them intellgent, creative souls.The works have been displayed in gallery showings.Handicapped? Perhaps just not able to do some things, but still very much capable of choosing what to paint, what colors to choose, and of expressing their emotions through the medium of art.This will bring tears to your eyes, a warmth to your soul, and the knowledge that you can do more than you think you can.

Flying Colors

This book is like entering the silent world of the nonverbal and severely disabled and seeing through the words of the author's excellent descriptions what a few hours a week were like in the art room at Matheny. We have always wondered, and now finally are able to "see" and "hear" the process, from novice to pro, that these young adults enjoyed so much, but were never able to explain because of their physical limitations. One of these artists is our daughter, Cindy.