My Art, My World

Written by Rita Winkler with Helen Winkler and Mark Winkler

Art by Rita Winkler

Second Story Press

978-1-77260-214-2

32 pp.

Ages 6-9

October 2021

 

This is not a story. This is a life. It's a life well-lived by Rita Winkler, a young woman with Down Syndrome. She lives it with colour, with activity, and with heart. And she tells her life through her art, hence My Art, My World.

From My Art, My World by Rita Winkler

Rita introduces herself through a self-portrait and then discusses the making of her art: when, where, why. She reveals her activities like taking the bus, clearly the TTC, to her job at a coffee shop, and participating in dance class and yoga. She recounts anecdotes of seeing fish in a bag, dealing with pesky telemarketers and visiting her uncle in New York City. And she always represents it in her art.

From My Art, My World by Rita Winkler

But more than just capturing a moment in time, Rita Winkler expresses herself through her artwork. She recognizes how her art changes through the seasons, and how the season makes her feel. From summer flowers and Halloween, through Remembrance Day and New Year's Eve, Rita Winkler tells us how she feels through her art which is often, though not limited to, paint.

From My Art, My World by Rita Winkler

With a boldness of intent and line, Rita Winkler invites us to meet her and enter her world, one of artistic temperament, not of disability or limitations. It's a testament to what is and not what isn't and that message of acceptance is paramount to the verve in Rita Winkler's life and My Art, My World.