A SELF-taught artist from Mary Tavy who took up painting just four years ago as a form of therapy following a brain tumour and a stroke is beginning to attract international attention for his work. Monty Shulberg was a consultant audiologist who treated the likes of Yehudi Menuhin, King Juan Carlos and thousands of children worldwide, until his retirement through ill-health. But his artwork has since gone from strength to strength ? he now has several exhibitions under his belt, he has featured in several top magazines and now a new book, The Review of Contemporary Poetry, introduced by Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, has used one of his paintings as the basis for its cover. Monty said he ?sincerely hopes? his paintings will be an inspiration to others who have suffered similar illnesses. ?I hope people look at them and say ?If this chap can do something, why can?t I?? ?What I am trying to do is put over the message that if you have a stroke, forget about your limitations, in fact, don?t even think about them. You have to accept what you have got and start a new life. It may not be the same as before, but it will be a new life.? He said his art has given life new meaning and he looks forward to each day ? despite the problems he still suffers. ?I used to travel to work on the train and look around and think ?Am I the only person who?s looking forward to going to work?? They all looked so bloody miserable. ?I looked forward to every day. Each day was a challenge, a revelation almost, as I wondered who I was going to help that day. ?It was a wonderful time, and I lost it all ? but I have rediscovered it through my painting.? And now Monty has just sold his first painting through the website ? to a former patient. He said it was an amazing feeling. ?It?s such a kick that somebody likes your work and says ?Gosh, can I buy that??. The fact that somebody wants to part with their money to put your picture on their wall is a tremendous feeling.? A painting Monty calls his ?signature piece? is called The Burning Forest. ?Soon after my stroke, I was very frustrated. I was learning to paint and was getting very angry. There was me, with my big head, having travelled all over the world, treating royalty, I just started literally slashing at the canvas and as I slashed, a picture began to emerge, which I called The Burning Forest.? Monty works with a variety of media ? but he says use of the computer has enabled him to produce even more work. ?Being a stroke sufferer, it was quite difficult for me to manipulate things and I found that by using the computer screen as a canvas, the mouse as a brush and the software as colour, I am doing the same thing as with paper and brush ? you still have to have the imagination ? it?s rubbish to say, ?Oh, it?s done by computer, it?s not art?. Monty?s latest work is called The Tears of a Clown. ?It?s an image that?s been burning inside me. It?s a clown, just about crying. ?It really represents myself and the face I put on when I first had my stroke. I was smiling this crooked smile, but behind the smile, there was upset and tears really. ?I think the most important thing about a stroke, or any disability, is that until you accept it, you can?t get on with your life. You have to realise that life isn?t fair, but you have to get on with it.? To view Monty Shulberg?s work, go to http://www.montysart.co.uk">www.montysart.co.uk
