Last weekend I headed just West of Austin to visit Dunten Studios. Jared Dunten, the sole artist behind D.S., is a painter with an amazing story. In April of 2000, Jared went camping in West Texas and dove into the Rio Grande to bathe. That simple act left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Jared went through months of rehabilitation in Houston, and with the support of his friends, family and employer (GSD&M), he continued to grow healthier and was able to return to Austin. In 2002, Jared began painting with his mouth and the rest is history. He’s developed an incredible collection over the years and is a huge inspiration. You can check out the full story here.

Jared and his wife, Kimberly, reached out to me earlier this Fall looking to redesign the Dunten Studios website. So over the past couple of months, we’ve been working on the new e-commerce site and it’s been awesome every step of the way. I mean it, and I can’t say that for many freelance jobs. The new site launched just in time for Jared’s recent gallery showing. All of his paintings, originals or giclee reproductions, are available to purchase online at the new www.jdunten.com.

Jared’s drive and unwillingness to fully accept life as a quadriplegic has also helped form The Will Walk Foundation.

This foundation will help fund the research necessary to find a cure for spinal cord injury (SCI) paralysis. “30 individuals paralyzed by spinal cord injury will come to Austin, Texas to be put into the first U.S. human trial of adult stem cell therapy. All that stands in the way is funding. We are working in concert with others to raise funds for this research.” – The Will Walk Foundation. If you’re interested in donating or signing up for future fundraising events, you can do so on the Will Walk site.

All in all, it’s been a total joy working with Jared and Kim Dunten and I encourage everyone to check out his artwork.