WARRNAMBOOL artist Simon Rigg has been remembered as a man who always looked on the bright side of life.
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The talented painter, who painted by holding the brush in his mouth, passed away on July 6.
Mr Rigg was a member of the worldwide Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA) after joining the organisation in 1990.
Dennis Rutzou from MFPA said Mr Rigg was full of fun and full of humour.
"Over Christmas he was very ill and he was discharged into ICU and then out on the ward.
"He couldn't talk and eventually he was discharged and came home. He then relapsed and was flown by Air Ambulance back to Melbourne.
"I asked him how that was and he said 'not very good.'
"He said 'it's a fantastic view and I was out of it.' And that's indicative of the guy he was.
"He was full of fun, and always positive.
"His paintings were incredibly versatile.
"He could paint just about anything.
"He was always positive, always a delight.
"He will be greatly missed."
In 2018 he immortalised The Twelve Apostles into a range of gift cards.
"The rugged cliffs brought back memories of the past when as a child I visited the area regularly to swim, snorkel and just enjoy the beach," he said.
"It is an area I have always liked to paint with the blue of the surf, the white caps of the surf and the deep yellow to brown of the cliffs."
Mr Rigg had recently moved back to Warrnambool from Shelbourne near Bendigo, where he had been living with his eldest daughter Amy as his carer for two years. He began painting with the brush held in his mouth in 1982 when he became a quadriplegic as a result of falling ten feet to the ground while he was repairing the roof of the shed at the back of his property.
He learned to paint while he was in rehabilitation at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne. Mr Rigg is survived by his partner and three children.
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