David L. Cawthorne was born on 22 April 1962 in Castleford. In February 1981, he suffered an injury to the spinal column during a Rugby game and since then he has been almost completely paralysed. During physiotherapy and movement therapy he learned to use his mouth to carry out the activities otherwise done by hand. This also brought him into contact with mouth painting for the first time. He acquired increasing skills within a few months of practice. His family and friends asked him to paint pictures for them, increasing his dedication and leading to considerable progress as a mouth painter.
Only nine years after his accident, David L. Cawthorne was given a scholarship by the Association. He was very proud of this scholarship, which constituted a great honour for him. After eight years, he became an Associate Member of the AMFPA. This allowed him to intensify his painting work, a welcome development since he has learned to enjoy this activity. He uses a variety of motifs and subjects but prefers to paint the landscapes of his hometown. His numerous works have already been shown to a broader public through joint exhibitions.
