Derry 'mouth artist' crafts stunning paintings of city and scenes across Northern Ireland

David McFaul is a ‘mouth artist’ and his pictures include scenes around Derry and the Northern Ireland, such as the Peace Bridge and the Dark Hedges.

He attends the ‘brilliant’ Glenoaks Day Care and Day Opportunity Centre in Derry, where many of his bright and colourful pictures adorn the walls.

David is originally from Drumahoe and lived in Coleraine for 30 years before moving to the city three years ago to be closer to family,.

Speaking to the Journal at Glenoaks Day Centre, he told how he began mouth painting around 14 years ago.

Following three mini strokes at the age of just 43, which doctors told him was caused by a ‘hypoxic brain injury’ of unknown cause, David spent a year in hospital, followed by three years in a nursing home. The strokes left David unable to use his hands and he is a wheelchair user.

While there, the activities nurse, called Evelyn Joyce, asked him what he would like to do.

"I said I’d like to paint. I’m sure she went away laughing and wondered how I was ever going to be able to do that. But, to this day, Evelyn comes down on the train to Coleraine from Derry and teaches me to paint.”

Evelyn and David spend two hours every Wednesday painting scenes, which he sources from pictures or memory.

Each painting takes about eight weeks and David ‘loves it’.

David creates each paint stroke and element of the picture by holding the paintbrush in his mouth. He admits how the process involves a lot of head control and while it was difficult at the beginning, he has mastered it.

“It’s the exact same thing as painting with your hands, but I do it with my mouth. It was hard to do at the start – it was very sore on the neck, but you get used to it. There’s a lot of head control involved.”

David used acrylic paints and said his favourite creation is a painting of Joey Dunlop on a motorbike. He was always a big fan of the North West 200.

David’s paintings are all framed by his mother, Anne and he usually donates them. He was delighted to sell his paintings at the Christmas Craft Fair, held by the Glenoaks Centre, which he attends twice and week and really enjoys. He is hoping to sell more of his paintings in the future.