Geoff Dossetor is an Australian mouth painting artist whose life has been shaped by adventure, resilience and creativity. Born in Melbourne in 1967, he grew up with a love of both sport and graphic design, and went on to graduate from university with qualifications in Physical Education, Mathematics and Teaching.

After university, Geoff discovered hang gliding and was instantly captivated by the freedom of flight. What began as a hobby soon became a career: as a qualified instructor, he introduced more than 5,000 people to the sport through lessons and tandem flights, most of them while living in Queenstown, New Zealand. He competed internationally for both Australia and New Zealand, winning two World Cup events and several national championships, and along the way appeared in television productions and wrote regular magazine articles that he often illustrated with his own cartoons.

In 2001, a freak hang gliding accident changed everything. As Geoff and a passenger stopped suddenly on landing, the passenger's arm swung through and struck his neck. His passenger was unharmed, but Geoff was left quadriplegic. The injury brought an abrupt end to his flying career, and, in time, opened an unexpected new chapter.

In 2005, Geoff was introduced to painting with a brush held in his mouth. He found a new creative passion almost immediately, building his skills in acrylics before moving into oils and gouache. After sending some of his early works to the New Zealand branch of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA), he was awarded Student Membership in 2007, encouraged and mentored by fellow artists in Queenstown.

Later that year, Geoff returned to Melbourne to be closer to family and friends while raising his young daughter as a solo parent. He immersed himself in the city's arts community - taking classes, visiting galleries and drawing inspiration from Melbourne's streets, parks, architecture and everyday life. In those early years he was a familiar sight around Camberwell, wheeling to his daughter's many activities with her perched on his lap. Today, with his daughter grown and pursuing her own passions, he works primarily in oils from his home studio in Glen Iris.

As a mouth painting artist, Geoff has taken a largely self-directed path. Recognising the particular challenges of painting without the use of his hands, he studies online tutorials and workshops, adapting each technique to suit his own way of working. He often joins online classes without mentioning his disability, preferring his work to be judged purely on its merit rather than the circumstances in which it was created.

Geoff paints landscapes, city scenes, architecture, people and imaginative subjects, with the occasional floral study for variety. His work reflects both careful observation and a lifelong curiosity about the world around him. Though he has built success across two very different careers, he remains modest about where he stands as an artist:

"I still consider myself very much at the beginning of my artistic journey."

Today, Geoff Dossetor continues to create original artworks as a member of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists; proof that determination, creativity and passion can turn life's greatest challenges into something extraordinary.