After losing his eyesight, local artist David Tineo is still doing what he loves.

In 2005, Tineo was diagnosed with macular degeneration, a disease that causes a loss of vision.

“I was teaching a class and I lost my vision for a second," Tineo said. "I thought that it was a result of a diabetic episode." But it was not.

As a result of the macular degeneration, Tineo cannot drive. There are times when the light hurts his eyes that he depends on the sale of his paintings to survive.

Tineo makes the frames and cuts the canvas himself. No two canvases are alike. Tineo listens to the canvas and wood when making his pallet. Each and every painting is unique because they are not symmetrical.

Throughout the years Tineo has created over 200 murals in the Tucson community. “I have lost count of the total number of murals I have painted,” Tineo said.

Tineo’s murals are located all around town. Some are located at Carrillo Elementary School, Orange Grove Middle Schools, among others, and even some community centers and at University Physicians Hospital. A few of the murals that Tineo has painted have deteriorated over the years while others have been destroyed. There have been times when Tineo has painted over his own murals to make a brand new one.

“I did it to get a reaction out of people," Tineo said. "I want the public to respond to my art."

Throughout the years, Tineo has given back to the community in various forms.

In the 1970s, Tineo teamed up with former South Tucson mayor and Pima County Board of Supervisor Dan Eckstrom to initiate a summer art program for local children.

In the 1980s, Tineo started teaching at Pima Community College, and worked as an adjunct faculty member until 2005, when his vision started to deteriorate.

Tineo’s art is not only in the local scene. It can also be found in Iraq and Kazakhstan through the sister cities program.

Tineo painted tiles representing Tucson which are now located in Almaty, Kazakhstan.