Norfolk foot artist's work chosen for Christmas card collection

For most of his life, Peter Longstaff has used his feet to paint scenic landscapes.

The 65-year-old from Marsham, Norfolk, was born without arms after his mother, Brenda Longstaff, was prescribed thalidomide , a drug used to treat morning sickness that caused severe birth defects in thousands of babies.

She encouraged her son to use his feet as a child and he taught himself how to paint. He later gained a number of art qualifications.

Longstaff joined the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA) 24 years ago and, for the first time, one of his paintings has been selected for the organisation's 2026 Christmas card collection.

Longstaff was one of thousands of babies around the world affected by the thalidomide scandal.

The drug was prescribed to mothers in the late 1950s and early 1960s and, according to the Thalidomide Trust , more than 100,000 babies were affected by it.

"From being born with no arms, my mum encouraged me to use my feet," Longstaff explained.

"I just started to pick things up and then she got me some paper and colouring pencils... so in a sense I don't know any different.

"From then on I've used my foot - it's my right hand."

At school, Longstaff excelled at art but, as an adult, spent 20 years running a pig farm.

"When I wanted a pig unit, nobody thought I could do it, even my mum and dad were hesitant," he continued.

"I actually started with breeding rabbits, which didn't work out because I didn't enjoy it.

"I went to Norwich Market and I bought two young pigs and that's where it started. I ended up with 200."

Longstaff sold his pig farm in the 1990s to gain various art qualifications and joined the MFPA .

While he stills look after rare pigs, much of his time is now devoted to painting landscapes. It can take him a week or two, sometimes longer, to paint one piece.

This year, his painting Winter Landscape was chosen for the festive card collection, it is the first time one of his artworks has been selected.

"I was astonished... it makes me proud because I've done a lot of work with this," Longstaff said.

"I've had some tuition, I've done the A-level Fine Art to make myself better, so with that, I've conquered my [goals].

"Hopefully, I can keep going and get a few more."

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