Remember Hal Lasko, the 98-year-old semi-blind artist who makes beautiful prints using Windows 95-era Microsoft Paint? He was in Microsoft’s gorgeously sentimental commercial that aired during last Sunday’s Super Bowl, as Mashable points out. Which is great, because we love the guy and his gorgeous work.
Check out the commercial again. That’s Hal making an MS Paint masterpiece at the 14-to-18 second mark, and again at 41-to-43.
If you don’t remember Hal’s story, he’s a former graphic designer and typographer who has lost most of his central eyesight to macular degeneration. But he can still see to the sides, and a few years back he discovered that the simple, pixel-based MS Paint was the perfect medium for his artistic expression. Check out the story we wrote about him in July, complete with a great little mini-documentary.
Mashable spoke with Hal after he appeared in Microsoft’s Super Bowl commercial. He was really surprised by the response he got from his appearance in the commercial. His family helps him sell prints of his beautiful works online, and his work is currently on display at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning gallery. Not a bad week.
Sometimes, you don’t need the fanciest or most advanced tool to make beautiful creations. You just need the right attitude and a vision. Just ask Hal. [Mashable]