Doug Landis

"I like to draw because it's something I can do where I don't need much help once I set up. I have a lot of control over it, and I'm my own person once I'm working on it. There is freedom in that ... I found a talent in myself that lead me to believe that everybody has talents. If I can do this ... everybody can find something in themselves -- people can do multiple things in fact. I think that it's important to find those talents. It helps give you hope; it helps you get through life."

Following a wrestling injury, teenager Doug Landis plunged into a deep depression. A dare to outdraw his brother catapulted him out of that depression. He saw his sketching as a hobby, never seeing himself as a serious artist. He developed a keen interest in the anatomy and movement of endangered species. VSA arts was the first gallery to show his work. After a trip to Belgium with VSA arts, where his work received a tremendous response, things started to change for Doug. "These were real boosts for me, reinforcing that maybe this was something that I needed to explore in myself."He began to consider himself an artist.

Doug paints with his mouth. "I'd rather them see the artwork first and then see the accomplishment of how I did it. The artwork is more important than how I did it."

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