Nyla Gladine Thompson, Mouth Painter, c. 1950s Original Oil Painting on Postcard toy sword and there is a signature

and there is a signature carved into one handle

As one can surely never have to many books

It is constructed like a "crown on thorns" with interlocking pieces

and a perfect reminder of why drawings are my favorite things among all things

a symbol of strength and rebirth

Nyla Gladine Thompson, Mouth Painter, c. 1950s Original Oil Painting on Postcard toy sword and there is a signatureI didn't quite understand the meaning of "mouth artist" handwritten on the back of this hand painted postcard when I found it, or recognize the name of Nyla G. Thompson of Austin, TX who signed it, but a little googling led me the fabulous folk outsider collector Jim Linderman's Dull Tool Dim Bulb blog, where I learned a bunch about her, including that she did, as a polio survivor, indeed paint by holding a paintbrush in her mouth. [here's a link] As