Two days short of his 20th birthday, this young painter reached his goal of donating one million dollars worth of his art to charities.
Impressive, right? We think so. Especially since he’s a cancer survivor, and he’s legally blind.
A self-described “accidental artist,” Jeffrey Hanson needed a distraction while undergoing chemotherapy for a tumor that had attacked his optic nerve. His mother, Julie, gave the 12-year-old some watercolors to paint note cards. The results were so beautiful, her friends clamored for cards of their own.
Though his sight continued to deteriorate after the treatment, his passion for art grew, and he developed a unique painting process that helped him literally feel his way around the canvas. By applying “plastic goop” to create peaks and valleys and painting them black, he’s able to find guidance along their hard ridges. After that, he applies brilliant colors, the trademark of his vibrant 3D paintings.
At the age of 17, the Overland Park, Kansas native founded “Jeffrey Owen Hanson LLC,” and began devoting his life to creating artwork that would support philanthropic causes. His original paintings now sell for about $4,000, but can earn up to $20,000 at charity auctions. He has donated more than 1,300 paintings.
“I thought it would be good to give back to the world and not use it for myself,” he told USA Today.
Jeffrey’s art can be found lining the walls of celebrities like Elton John and Warren Buffet and he’s even designed gowns for fashion shows.
This 21-year-old is now facing six months of backlogged orders.
“My art makes people happy,” he said with a smile.
(WATCH the video below or READ the story from CBS News) *NOTE auto-playing audio, adjust your speakers
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