Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Seasons of Grace

Home
Catholic
For Bonnie Prince George: A Unique Gift from Artist With Down’s Syndrome

For Bonnie Prince George: A Unique Gift from Artist With Down’s Syndrome

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:55 pm by Kathy Schiffer

For Bonnie Prince George: A Unique Gift from Artist With Down’s Syndrome 2016-09-30T15:55:12-05:00 Kathy Schiffer

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The artist Tazia Fawley working in acrylics

From the Huffington Post, a story so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes.

A “no gifts” policy just makes sense if you’re the Prince of England. First, you’ve already got a ton of stuff; besides that, you’ve got a ton of fans. There is no need, and there is no room for all the bawbles which your enthusiastic subjects would offer to your new baby, heir to the throne of England.

So Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, don’t accept gifts for special occasions. That means that newborn Prince George didn’t get truckloads of new rattles and blankets and nappies and onesies.

But young Prince George’s parents made one exception: They proudly accepted a painting by Somerset artist Tazia Fawley, who has Down’s syndrome. Fawley had spent six months creating the painting, titled Rupert Flies Over the Suspension Bridge. The work features Rupert the Bear, a favorite childhood character, standing on the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, watching as hot air balloons pass in the sky overhead.

Fawley’s painting was discovered by Heart and Sold, a nonprofit organization which supports artists with Down’s syndrome. Heart and Sold offered the painting to Kate and William as a baby gift, hoping they’d hang it in the nursery.

Suzie Moffat, director of Heart and Sold, was excited to receive a note from St. James’ Palace to say that the Duke and Duchess would like the painting and that they wished to thank the artist, Miss Fawley, for it and send her their best wishes. Moffat spoke to TODAY about the importance of the gift:

“In England, there always has been a stigma attached to (Down syndrome), and now that is washed away by the fact that the Duke and Duchess have accepted that painting. For this to happen, it’s kind of turned that negativity around.”

Tazia Fawley from her website, in a picture taken for Heart and Sold

The 43-year-old artist, Tazia Fawley, gets plenty of support and encouragement from her family, who are successful artists in their own right. Her father was a lighting director at the BBC, her brother is a Creative Director in Sydney, and her mum is a sculptor.

Fawley’s mother, Gylda Thomas, told TODAY.com how much she appreciated the royal couple’s support. “We felt absolutely delighted,” she said*.*

“It was a lovely thing that they did. Since Taz has had this publicity, I’ve gotten loads of emails from people, usually parents with Down’s children, saying how wonderful Taz is and what kind of a role model she is.”

Fawley herself talks about the painting on her website, Taz Paintings:

It is such an honour for this to happen, and I’m sure that the baby will love it. The colours are amazing. It is large. 36 x 12 inches and painted with acrylic paint.

Fawley sells other works as well as greeting cards, and accepts custom orders at her website.

Art

Down's syndrome

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Prince William

Tazia Fawley

Previous Post

September 15, 2013

Reality Show Contestant Strips, Coca-Cola Stocks Plunge

Next Post

September 15, 2013 Biden, Foot, Mouth. Again.

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #Synod14 Abortion Abstinence Abuse Addiction Adoption Advent Adventure Advertising Aging Agnosticism All Saints Day All Souls Day Amish Anathema Angels Anglican Animals Annulment Annunciation Apocalypse Apologetics Apostles Apostleship of the Sea Apparitions Archangels Archbishop Cordileone Archbishop Dolan Archbishop Vigneron Archeology Architecture Art Art Buchwald Ash Wednesday Assisted Suicide Astronauts Atheism Athletes Babies Baptism Beatification Beauty Bible Biochemistry Bioethics Birds Bishop Lori Bishops Blasphemy Books Canon Law Canonization Capital Punishment Cardinal Burke Cardinal Dolan Cardinal George Caritas Catechesis Catechism of the Catholic Church Catholic Catholic Education Catholic Higher Education Catholic Social Teaching Celibacy Cemeteries Character Charity Chastity Cheapskate Christian Unity Christmas Churches Civil Rights Cloning Comedy Communion of Saints Community Kitchens Confession Confirmation Conscience Consequences Consistory Constitution Contraception Conversion Cooking Councils of the Church Creativity Criminal Justice Cristero War Crucifixion Crystal Cathedral Culture Death Death and Dying Death Penalty Department of Health and Human Services Diaconate Dictatorship of Relativism Dignity Disability Discrimination Dissidence Divorce Doctors of the Church Early Church Fathers Easter Economics Ecumenism Education Encyclicals Environmentalism Episcopal Church Eucharist Euthanasia Evangelism Evangelists Evangelization Evolution Excuses Facebook Faith Families Family Fashion Fasting Fatherhood Federal Government Feminism Fiction Film First Amendment First Communion For Greater Glory Forgiveness Free Speech Friends Friendship Gender Discrimination Germany Gnosticism Good Friday Government Grace Greed Gregorian Calendar Happiness Health Heaven Heresy History Holidays Holiness Hollywood Holy Land Holy Saturday Holy Spirit Holy Week Holy Year Home Sweet Home Homosexuality Hope Humanism Humility Humor Imagination Immaculate Conception Immigration Impulsivity In Vitro Fertilization Incarnation Indulgences Infallibility Internet Islam Italy Jerusalem Jesus Judaism Justice Kathleen Sebelius Labor Movement LCWR Lent Life Literature Liturgy Lourdes Love Magi Marketing Marriage Martyrdom Martyrs Mary Mass Media Medical Ethics Mexico Michigan Miracles Missionaries Modernism Modesty Monks Monothelitism Motherhood Movies Mushrooms Music Muslim Mystery Mysticism Mythology Nativity Natural Law Nature New Evangelization New Media New Year New Year's Resolutions Nostalgia Obscenity Occult Old Testament Origen Orthodox Orvieto Pallium Papacy Parenting Patience Patriarch Bartholomew Patriotism Peace Peace and Justice Penitence Pentecost People Persecution Philosophy Poetry Political activism Political Correctness Politics Polls Pop Culture Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Pope John Paul II Pope John XXIII Pope Paul VI Pope St. Pius X Pope Urban VII Population Prayer Preaching Prejudice Pride Priesthood Pro-Life Protestantism Psychology Purgatory Queenship of Mary Racism Rape Real Presence Reconciliation Reformation Relics Religious Religious Liberty Reliquary Renewal Reproductive Technology Resurrection Rights Romance Rome Royalty Sacraments Sacred Heart Saints Satanism Science Science Fiction Scripture Seal of Confession Secularism Seniors September 11 Seventy Times Seven Sexuality Sharks Sin Smoking Social Communications Social Justice Social Networking Social Sciences Space Exploration Spirituality Sports St. Luke St. Patrick's Day St. Paul St. Peter St. Teresa of Avila Stations of the Cross Steve Jobs Superstition Supreme Court Symbolism Synod Technology Teen Rebellion Television Terrorism Thankfulness Thanksgiving Theology Think This, Not That Tobit Toilets Toys Tradition Traditions Transplants Travel Trinity Twitter U.S. Air Force Uncategorized United Nations USCCB Valentine Vatican Vatican Archives Vatican Blogfest Virtue Vocations Where We Pray White Heart Women World Day of Social Communications World Meeting of Families World News World Youth Day Worship Writing Year of Consecrated Life Year of Faith Year of Mercy Youth

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: John's Gospel does not record any parables.

Select your answer to see how you score.

FALSE TRUE