'He was my love for life': Bathurst artist who used his nose for art dies

When Gille Legacy was growing up, his father kept him locked inside the family house in Bathurst, telling him he was a loser andwouldn't amount to much.

Legacy, one of 10 children,suffered injuries to his skull and collarbone at birth. He couldn't use his legs or arms and had trouble speaking.

So his father kept him inside for more than 30years, andhe was not allowed to go to school, church orthe hospital.

"His dad didn't want a handicap in the house," Legacy's wife, Sandi Glendinning-Legacy, said.

But Legacy defied his father's expectations andbecame an artist, author and motivational speaker known across North America.

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Legacy, 64, died April 4, leaving a legacy true to his name.

"That man taught me about beauty that has no limits," Glendinning-Legacysaid from her home in Hawaii.

When I looked into his eyes there was a spark that hit me straight through my soul.-SandiGlendinning-Legacy

The couple met at the Ryes Cafin Fredericton on Canada Day in 1998.

Glendinning-Legacy was sitting with two friends to celebrate her birthday when Legacy came in.

One of her friends waved him over to their table, where the couple struggledto communicate.

Afterward, Glendinning-Legacy's received one of Legacy's books as a birthday gift,and she learned how he thought and felt.

"We just somehow connected on a different level," she said.

The duo tried to meet up that night forCanada Day celebrations but couldn't find each other.

About six weeks later, they did meet and were inseparable ever after.

"When I looked into his eyes, there was a spark that hit me straight through my soul," Glendinning-Legacy said. "This man was so incredible. I was absolutely fascinated by him."

A love forart

Legacy's love for art started when he was eight, and his sister was painting next to him.

"He was fascinated watching her painting so much," Glendinning-Legacy said.

Whenhis sister left the room, she ordered him not to touch her paints.

Legacyknew he had to act quickly, so he painted a bird with his nose, creating a picturehis sister still has today.

Once his mother realized her son's love of art, she would buy him paints with the little money the family had.

"She would say, 'Don't believe Daddy, you can have anything you want but never expect it to be given to you,'" Glendinning-Legacy said.

Legacy went on toindependent living for six years inMoncton, where he was given an old manual type writer to communicate. Since he didn't have any schooling, he learned to communicate phonetically and to write poetry, He eventually moved to Fredericton.

Legacy went on to write several books and was evenencouraged by the late LouisDudek,a Canadian poet who presented Legacy's work at McGill University in Montreal.

"He was so amazed and so excited to be able to communicate with others through words," Glendinning-Legacy said."He started writing his thoughts."

An adventure for two

In 2000, the couple moved back to Moncton, where Legacycontinued to write, andtogether theysold Legacy's paintings at farmers markets.

He loved to paint angels.

Later, the couple openedthe Nose Boutique in Monctonto celebrate the life of Legacy's mother, who died in 2003.

"She was his angel," saidGlendinning-Legacy. "She was his reason for living."

Legacy, who was awarded aPaul Harris Fellowship, continued selling his art from the Nose Boutique and also went to church and schools, where he deliveredmotivational speeches.

But the adventure didn't stop there.

Later, with just six suitcases, no plan and just enough money to support themselves,the couple moved to California, where Legacy continued to chase his dream of painting.

This, too, was done to honourhis mother, who helped him pursue his passion for painting, Glendinning-Legacy said.

He was a performer at 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monicaand was later featured in a documentary calledThe Man Who Paints With His Nose,which received many gallery showings.

"What a blessing for him and for us to be so well-recognized," Glendinning-Legacysaid.

Family and friends celebrated Legacy's life on Tuesdayat aceremony to scatter Legacy'sashes near their home in KeauhouBay, Hawaii.

"He was my love for life," his wife said.