ABOUT THE ART CREATOR 

Astro Saulter is a digital artist living in Negril, Jamaica.

Astro’s often tropically-influenced images splash across the page in vivid patterned colors in a symmetry that is often seen in aboriginal and folk art forms.

Each of these digital line drawings can take up to a month to complete. The painstaking process is an exercise in both patience and dedication.

As an infant, Astro was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, a brain and nervous system disorder causing him severe physical disability. One of eight children, Astro’s mother and father nurtured all of their children’s creative spirit and they encouraged and enabled Astro to find ways to express himself. Seeking an adequate education for him, his parents enrolled him at the age of 12 in a special rehabilitation school in New Hampshire, USA. There he learned many basic subjects, in addition to computer skills, including the ability to communicate by inputting Morse code signals to a hands-free head set with head movements to perform all necessary computer functions. He was later transferred into the general high school system in Miami, Florida to finish his studies, and returned home to Jamaica in 1998 at the age of 20.

Using the computer as his ‘life-line’ to the majority of the outside world, Astro learned to flawlessly navigate the internet and use many kinds of computer software. Around 2001, he began to turn his attention to creating visual art as a form of expression. Enabled by the program EZ-Keys, Astro operates his computer using a head switch on the back of his wheelchair, he uses drawing programs such as Macromedia Freehand and Inkscape to “sketch” his drawings, connecting lines and filling colors one step at a time.

Astro has developed an eclectic body of work, his subjects plucked from both popular culture and his immediate surroundings. His work displays his sensibility to world affairs, his unique sense of humor, and a deep-rooted love of his homeland, Jamaica. Images of Barack Obama, thunder clouds, humming birds and portraits of his mother all make an appearance in Astro’s archive.

Astro’s goal is to impact peoples’ lives, make a positive contribution to society, and leave a lasting impression on the world. His dream is to help open doors and opportunities for disabled people in Jamaica and the region.

Upcoming projects include developing an online gallery for his artwork and writing, and to eventually publish a book about his experiences.

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“…no matter who you are, or where you come from, or what background you have, or even if you have a disability - if you have a dream or a vision of something that you really want to do in life you must face it and challenge that goal head on. Do not let anything stand in your way, or anyone try to stop you or tell you cannot do it.” ~ Astro Saulter

THE VISION OF AN ARTIST

BY ASTRO SAULTER

BORN OCTOBER 10, 1978

NEGRIL, JAMAICA

My name is Astro Saulter, and I am an artist. I really first started doing art exclusively between roughly about 2001 and 2003. I am disabled, and I have a condition known as Cerebral Palsy or CP. I use the computer for many of my daily activities. These include writing and communicating, surfing the web, navigating through programs, and of course making art. I also used to write stories and poems. However, later on I developed a love and passion for drawing. Everyone used to encourage me to write more and sometimes they would get a bit frustrated with me for not making more of an effort to do more writing, including my Mother. In fact, one day I was not too happy about something that she did and I wrote her a less than pleasant email expressing my displeasure with her, and she was not too happy about it and told me instead of being critical all the time, I should focus my energy on positive things, like writing. It was at that time that I told her I enjoyed drawing more than writing.

My art is all about inspiration and imagination. I love to draw things that interest me, and what I love in life. I also love to do art based on what I am thinking about in general. There are no particular categories or limits as to what I love to draw, and doing art about. My art ranges through many different categories. I am not bound to any specific topic. I do my art on my computer, which I operate using a head switch on the back of my chair, which uses a special program called EZ-Keys. This allows me to use my computer hands-free, and I can operate the entire computer this way. Currently, I use the drawing program called Inkscape. This is a great vector-drawing program and it is very effective for me, at present. I have also done a lot of my art using Microsoft PowerPoint and Macromedia Freehand.

The EZ-Keys program enables me to select a certain tool in the drawing program that I can use to draw. The duration of the time that it takes me to complete a drawing can vary and can depend on a number of different things. Some drawings can take me a few hours, some a few days, some a few weeks and some a few months. The amount of time it takes me to do a drawing can also depend on what I am drawing, how complex that drawing is and how committed and focused I am to that particular drawing at the time. I love being an artist, and I really enjoy what I do and take a lot of pride and enthusiasm in imagining and creating new art all the time. I truly believe that art is not only something you do and create. It is also a form of expression, and it can reflect your soul. It can also ultimately reflect who you are as a person.

I believe that there is art in each single one of us, and we all have our own unique way of creating art and expressing ourselves through this talent. I know this is certainly true for me and of all artists, not only in Jamaica but also throughout the world. There is nothing in the world that gives me more pleasure and joy, than drawing and creating something beautiful and sharing it with the world and having people enjoy and appreciate it. I know that there is a lot of young and talented artists’ right here in Jamaica, who are probably just starting to further develop and enhance their love and passion in this field and I have a special message for them. It is that is no matter who you are, or where you come from, or what background you have or even if you have a disability, if you have a dream or a vision of something that you really want to do in life you must face it and challenge that goal head on. Do not let anything stand in your way, or anyone try to stop you or tell you cannot do it.

You can accomplish anything that you want to do, as long as you have the desire and motivation to do so. Having a family that loves and supports you, make it even easier to achieve your goal. I give a great deal of credit to my family, and my late Mother who was the prime motivator of my life, and my Father as well. I not only love making art, I love art itself as a whole because it has meaning and value, and it has a purpose in every way. I love creating art for other people to see and understand, and learn something from it.

We are all artists in some form or another. I want a person to truly appreciate, and understand the love and effort that goes into my work. To my fellow artists, keep reaching for the stars, and remember, if we have a vision and a passion for something that we really want to do, we can meet that challenge, and succeed in our dream if we try hard enough. All artists are beautiful people, and we really can make a difference in the world with our work that has a positive impact on people in so many ways.

Contact:         astrosaulter@gmail.com 

On Skype:  live.astrosaulter