Fifteen-year-old Jayden Tranby was born without arms, but that hasn’t slowed him down when it comes to painting.

“For Jayden, I think it’s one of the ways he finds his place in the world,” says his dad, David.

With Bob Ross tutorials on TV as his guide, Jayden creates a new painting every day. Adopted from China, Jayden’s artistic talent came to light only a few years ago. Now, he’s capturing the beauty of Central Oregon with scenes like the Three Sisters, which are especially meaningful to him.

Last July, Jayden’s brother Joel tragically passed away after falling during a hike on North Sister.

“It’s never easy,” David shared. “It’s something that’s always going to be a part of us, part of who we are. But we’re finding a way to keep going.”

To honor Joel, Jayden plans to auction off one of his paintings of the mountains and donate the money to Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, the team that helped search for his brother.

“It means a lot for us to say, ‘Thank you for what you do,’” David said. “‘We wish Joel had been alive when you found him, but he wasn’t. Still, you were out there looking, and that means everything to us.’”

During the interview, Jayden quietly finished another painting, which will be featured at Bend’s First Friday Art Walk on October 4th at Foundry Church. While he may not be very verbal, Jayden expresses himself through his art. A scholarship from the International Association of Mouth & Foot Painting Artists helps cover his supplies and celebrates his unique talent.

“We always knew Jayden was awesome—like, really awesome,” David added. “It just feels so good to see him thinking of others and not just focusing on himself.”