Fundraising

Thomas' story - making models from memory

Summary: About deafblind artist Thomas Lafferty, his inspirations and impressive creations.

• Thomas' story
• Thomas' models

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"I started making models because I was lonely and it was just something I felt I could do."

Deafblind artist Thomas Lafferty has created some astonishing works of art. All of his works are based on his visual memory and imagination, using his sense of touch to ensure the proportions are exactly as they should be.

Thomas' story

Thomas was born deaf and began to have problems with his vision in his mid teens. By the age of 32, all of his useful sight had gone and he became more reliant upon deafblind manual communication. Thomas receives information from individuals who ‘speak’ on his hand using deafblind manual alphabet or block letters traced on his palm. He responds using the same method.

At school Thomas was keen on art and craftwork, but his interest was left behind when he entered the world of work. In the early years, Thomas had a variety of jobs, including tailoring, gardening, window cleaning, building, factory work and garage work. At one time, he even worked at a funfair in Whitley Bay, where he would set the cars off the Big Dipper!

It was soon after retirement that Thomas realised his skill in model making. Over the past few years, the models that Thomas has produced have become increasingly detailed and introduced a much wider variety of materials.

Thomas was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1983 for the determination and courage he has shown. But the modest artist does not know what all of the fuss is about - he says he just makes models because he enjoys doing it.

Thomas' models

"My first model was a ship. Years and years ago before I went blind I spent some time at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset (where the National Blind Children's Society has a base) to learn new skills. I was aged 18 and I saw a big ship. The memory of it helped me create the model."

Behind every model there is a story. 'Bygone Days', Thomas' double-decker sculpture, represents the number 17 bus he used to travel to work on everyday in Newcastle before losing his sight.

Another of his models, 'Country Cottage', combines his memories of visits to his grandmother's home and his own interpretation of the house he now lives in.

See also our leisure pages for information about arts and crafts.

Read about some other unusual fundraising activities

Content author: fundraising@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 08/04/2008 18:38