The mouth artist's painting 'Dance' depicts a group of colourful Koi carp swimming in a pond and was selected for the cover art and the month of July in the desk calendar.

"Painting was something that was on my mind for a while looking at ponds and their waterlilies," Rigg said.

"This painting was a really relaxing experience and with the ponds you can paint any way you like. I certainly looked to paintings such as Monet's Garden, I think that'd be good to see.

"I am also aware of high regard that the Japanese have for this particular fish and the colours that have been developed over thousands of years of selective breeding.

"I like landscapes and nature, and art gives me a bit of focus in my life; it shows the nice things in life."

Rigg recently moved back to Warrnambool from Shelbourne near Bendigo where he lived for two years with his eldest daughter Amy as his carer.

Since returning to the south-west, the artist has immersed himself in re-discovering the area, its landscapes and engaging with the artistic community.

"When I went up to Bendigo my neck was hurting quite a bit and I had to rest from painting for a while but it was getting to the point where I needed to start painting again," he said.

"I moved away because I was quite ill and living by myself but I thought I needed a bit more independence again so I came back.

"For a painter like me who loves doing outdoor scenes there is so much on offer ranging from the bushland to beach scenes with families enjoying themselves with the blue/green of the ocean, the white waves dissipating on the sand and the vegetation coming down to the beach.

"When you're away from anywhere after a while you come back with a fresh eye and now I think I could paint something hear and there."

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Rigg has painted with the brush held in his mouth since 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 and joined the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists in 1990 and is one of five members in Australia and 800 worldwide.

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