Blind Artist Vision: blog by Stella De Genova
As artists, we paint for many reasons. It can be as simple as the urge to paint. It could be the desire to create a replica of real life or it can be the expression of a vivid imagination. An artist may have a point or message she wants to share with the world, or simply something she found to be meaningful or just appealing.
As a traditional artist, I usually look for references that can challenge my skills in one way or another. Actually, as a visually impaired artist, it’s always a challenge. I can’t paint plein aire anymore because looking at something in the distance is a blur. Even sitting a few feet away from a still life is difficult for me to focus on.
It seems that when looking at a photo, it takes time for my brain to translate what my eyes are trying to see. At first, a photo mostly looks abstract to me. Once I study on it for a while and zoom in on different areas, I start to make out what is before me. The more contrast, the better because that helps me recognize shapes and shadows. I also like playing with light and darks, which I think make the painting more dramatic.
And sometimes, the artist will pick a reference for very personal reasons. This is exactly what I did when I painted Borough Market. The image didn’t have dramatic contrasts, nor did it have great personal meaning to me (until it bacame my painting). It was from a photo my son took while in London and, of course, I liked it. Working on this painting was a personal challenge for me, which was exactly what I was looking for at the time.
As I’ve discussed before, artwork and other creative outlets are therapeutic. Many times, the most beautiful music, poetry, and artwork are the results of someone going through a struggle or something traumatic in their lives.
In 2019, my mom passed away. There was so much sadness in our whole family. She was the matriarch of our immediate and extended family. Our family all gave love and support to each other. We grieved together and on our own. That is when I worked on Borough Market and Flowers for Mom
Borough Market is a painting that has much detail. There is building structure, a female figure and many crates with all kinds of fruits and vegetables. And for a blind artist, it took a lot of time and effort to set up, just what I needed. As hard as a painting can be, it’s just what an artist wants because it takes them to another place in the brain and can be a break from what is really going on around them. I don’t look at this as escape but more a way to give my mind a rest from the struggles at hand.
Another painting I did right after my mom’s death is named Flowers for Mom, which is a still life of some of the flowers from some of the bouquets we received for her memorial service. This composition is much less complicated but Mom loved flowers and I wanted to do it for her. When I think about the soft tones of blues, purples and browns that I used in this painting, it brings a feeling of peace.
Many of my paintings are for sale and have sold but there are some, like these, that I could never part with. Looking at them doesn’t make me sad anymore. They give me comfort and remind me of all of her love.
Every painting tells a story, but it may not always be apparent to the viewer. It’s always interesting to me to hear what curators and art experts say when they talk about what an artist was thinking when they did a painting. They have studied and learned all there is to know about a specific artist and their work. They may know exactly what the artist was trying to relay, but then again, the true meaning of the piece of art may only be known to the artist.
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