I wanted to showcase some of my art in hopes of inspiring others. This piece has a story behind it and I thought it would be nice to share it here.
Back in 2004, I was on my next journey in life about to start college as I had just finished up high school. It was a scary, yet exciting time for me as I looked forward to starting over and following my passion: fine art. Before the semester started, I was experiencing floaters and eye flashes in the corner of my eye, which were new to me. Not understanding the severity of the situation, my mother took me to the regular eye doctor to have it checked out.
Everything came up normal and I went about my day per usual. It was only when things started to become darker in my right eye that it was clear something was going on. I was promptly driven to an ophthalmologist where they quickly figured out what was wrong; I was going blind in both my eyes. Without hesitation, they required I have immediate surgery. They mentioned if I had waited any longer, I would have lost my vision entirely. As an artist, your main tools for the craft are your hands and eyes. It quickly dawned on me how close I was to missing out on the one thing I was actually good at in life and that scared me so much.
For my right eye, I had a very invasive surgery done. They call it a sclera buckle which is a silicone band they stitch permanently into your eye. It holds your eye in place to avoid any retinal detachment. For my left eye, I had laser surgery (not lasik) where they 'weld' your retinal tears shut. You're awake during the procedure and it is very painful as you have to move your eye around in order for them to hit the tears properly all whilst the smell of your flesh burning fills your nostrils. This procedure had to be done multiple times during the span of a year, so I had roughly four sessions worth of laser work done.
It took about a year for my right eye to heal entirely, but the nightmare wasn't over yet. Some muscle tissue started to grow over the silicone band, which impaired my vision, so I had to get another surgery done. Since the eye was already so fragile, they could only do so much to stitch back the muscle. The doctors told me upfront that I might end up losing my vision from this surgery if it didn't go well or if they did anymore. Given my situation, I was very thankful I never lost my eyesight.
So how are my eyes now you may be asking? I can see and that alone is a blessing. The only complication I had after this was double vision and what I call my 'lazy eye' as my right eye is much weaker now and can veer off to the side sometimes. Unfortunately, when I finally started college I had to wear an eye patch because my eye was still healing. It wasn't for a long time, so I was very thankful for that.
So what's the connection between this story and the painting? Well, I had quite a number of painting classes and my teacher asked us to create a themed piece that for the life of me I can't remember. So I took my oil paints, brushes, and canvas and decided to convey everything I felt during my experience losing my vision and gaining it back again. For me, I've always been a non-representational painter, so basic shapes and colors were my way of expressing my emotions best. Veins, tree roots, water, curves, waves...all these things had a deep connection to me as I felt very drawn to nature, the human body and their beautiful connection to one another.
Everything I tried to express in my painting may look unusual for some, but it's how I've learned to cope with my emotions best. I hope this post can enlighten others to continue doing what you love despite the challenges.
There are no words to express how I feel after viewing the painting and hearing your story. “Powerful” doesn’t even come close. So I’ll just have to thank you profusely for sharing both. Lynne
Wow, this is such a heartfelt comment...I am so flattered. Thank you very much. I am so happy I could impact others in a positive manner.
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An inspiring story and beautiful work of art
My father had to have the buckle done. His retina had partially detached and he was seeing a dark curtain. He was able to keep vision in the eye. My twin had to have retinal tears repaired with a laser when she was pregnant. I always see the eye doctor now. Like you said it starts out very non threatening but is very serious. A good eye exam with eye dilation to check retina health is essential. And wear polarized sunglasses even if you don’t have eye problems. The UV rays of the sun can cause cataracts to grow faster.
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Nice picture btw.
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Thank you!
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Really? Wow, I have not met anyone else in my life who has had either procedure done. Most people have the air bubble injection. I've always wondered how it felt for other people. Do you know the cause for their retinal detachment? For me, they said my vision was really bad, that my eyes were myopic and I was nearsighted. A recipe for retinal detachment despite being really young.
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My father was a smoker and had a blood clot behind his eye. He has an astigmatism which causes some part of the eye to elongate naturally pulling the retina away. My twin and I both have astigmatism. My twins retinal tears were because of the astigmatism and from being pregnant when she bent over caused added pressure in the eye and the retina tore. Her eye is fine now. She knew to get it checked after what happened to my father.
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My father can see fine in the eye with the buckle. He even had cataract surgery where they put in a new lens and he can now see without glasses when he reads.
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Dang...that's a shame about your pops. Yup, I have astigmatism in both my eyes too. My family was cursed with super bad eyesight. Oh wow...I have heard about instances that can pull the retina like racecar drivers stopping really quickly or older folks because it naturally weakens. That's so scary though with your sister. And how cool, you're a twin!
P.S. I am glad they are both OK! I forgot to write that!
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Yeah I have a twin but I am one minute older than her. Which means I am better 😉. My twin was 30 when that happened.
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Hahaha, you're always one minute ahead of her Oh wow...I've never heard of a retinal tear like hers. I always assumed it was uncommon (if you took care of your eyes) but I guess not! Seems way too young to have it. Then again, I was only 19 when I had my surgery done.
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The eye doctor said it’s not uncommon with the form of astigmatism she has. He said she was lucky to catch it before going into labor. She couldn’t have natural child birth. The physical exertion could have caused a detachment. She had to have a c section. The doctor said being pregnant and bending over picking up her dog was all that was needed.
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Dang...that is crazy! I am SO happy she is OK and that the baby was fine! But seriously, that is nuts!
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She was glad they found it. Yes the baby turned ten this year and he is fine. She even had another child. A girl who turns five this September. So she still has a normal life. What are you doing to keep your eyes healthy?
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Oh wow, the legacy lives on! Her son is ten, what a sweet age! And another child! Congratulations! Welp, I have the worst job possible for my eyesight (a desk job where I stare at a computer most of the day) so I try to avoid being on any device for too long because it really does strain my eyes now.
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Some devices have a feature where you can turn on a blue light filter. It’s supposed to help with strain.
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You're a lifesaver, thank you! I also do dark mode when possible, that helps too! But thanks for that suggestion, I will see if I can do that on my phone!
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Also, you must be the cool uncle, right? Do you like kids?
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I am not sure about cool uncle. My niece and nephew love me because I play with them. Yeah I like kids. Kids and dogs are the only things that seem to like me. 🤷🏻♂️
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I dunno man, you knit and make stuff out of wood. If I had an uncle like that, he would be considered a boss in my eyes. We must be the same person as you mentioned before. Kids and animals really like me for some reason too! Especially babies. They LOVE staring at me.
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Yes! Babies stare at me! Their was one little guy who followed me around Michael’s. He kept on crying when his mom would try to walk away. It was kinda awkward. I think he was attracted to my snoopy shirt. His mother was like gee he really likes you. I was like no it’s the snoopy shirt. He is just a fan.
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"He must have liked my Snoopy shirt." That's so cute! As corny as it sounds, I think you give off a positive vibe or energy without realizing it. I've always been a firm believer when it comes to animals or babies sensing negative folks and reacting to positive people. You must have that same glow
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I never heard that before. About giving off a glow. I like kids and dogs. How can anyone not smile when they see a baby or a dog? At the Home Depot here people bring their dogs. You can get all the free pets and kisses you want. I had a dog for fifteen years. The whole time I was homebound she was with me. She was a true friend.
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I know what you mean, but some people don't like them at all! To me, something is wrong with you if you hate animals or kids. A..that sounds like a great excuse for some animal therapy! But in all seriousness, I agree. That's so sweet...your dog was your companion when you needed her most.
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I have to get to sleep soon. Its almost 11:00 p.m. here. Thanks for talking. You are a kind and sweet person. 🤗
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Me too, we most certainly need our rest It has been an absolute delight! You're making me blush...thank you! You're equally a sweet person as well.
Cool I’m going to try working on a pen sketch I think... wish I felt the passion I once had for art. Yesterday I got out the acrylics for my 7 yr old and he had so much fun ...as for me, was just content watching him... I hope I still have got it in me.
Yes! Please do! I know it can be hard to find the motivation, but I think once you do something small, you may feel the spark again. Starving artists unite!
Ok .....I’m already a big fan of your photography and don’t forget you already give us a sneak preview of your art ...hey where’s arty Elliott and her collage pictures?
I love it!! I went to high school magnet school and college for art myself. My daughter picked it up and has had her art showcased at a local museum. She's 12.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful work.
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Thank you!! Whoa, really?? That's so cool that you and your daughter do art! Wow, congratulations! She must be very talented!
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Thank you. She is far better than me but it's so fun to do together.
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Bob Ross mom & daughter edition for the win
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I dig Bob Ross. So inspirational and soothing. He will live on forever.
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Right?? I had my nieces over recently and we watched a few episodes together. He seemed like such an awesome person. The man busted out full-blown scenery paintings in thirty minutes. Absolute legend of a man.
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Yes!! So talented.
Do you think the struggle you went through helped fuel your artistic expression? You always read how some of the best art came out of great pain.
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Absolutely, without a doubt. Most of my art is dark because I pour myself and my emotions into it. A lot of people would make comments about it (some good and some bad) but it was a healthy outlet for me. It's a private thing I share because not many people can handle what they see. Didn't help when I heard my family make comments about it (they didn't know I could hear them) or when my sister-in-law asked if my 'dark' pieces were going in a gallery.
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It doesn’t look dark to me. It looks like emotion in action. The black line is carving through a sunrise. Just how I see it.
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Oh, this piece is not what I am referring to. It's the piles of lonely canvas's in my basement that will never see the light of day
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What kind of paints do you use oil or acrylic?
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I love using them both, but I stick to acrylic because oil paint takes forever to dry! Do you paint at all?
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Just ceramics. My twin paints with acrylics. I do counted cross stitch.
Thanks gabby for posting this and the artwork is amazing we love art club on here I think anxious and depressed people are the best at everything ✊😁nature is where the magic is
It's my pleasure. It's nice to know how accepting everyone is about it. I agree, very famous and talented people deal with severe depression. It makes a lot of sense. Thank you!
I am always so happy as I just said to hear from you and I am sooo grateful that you not only didnt lose your sight yet you have created a very expressive masterpiece!! You are definitely resilient and you are an inspiration! Thank you for sharing.
You're too kind, seriously! I'm glad too and it's nice to know my art could evoke so much positivity here. Such a thoughtful thing to say, I am so happy I can be such a thing here! You're very welcome!
that is quit a painting -so glad you did not loose your eye sight-I am going in the hospital the 11th to have shunts (tubs) put in to my right eye and 3 weeks later will have the left eye done I was on my way there april 17th and was in a car crash so it was post poned untill I could travel the 3 hour drive they also have to remove cateracts on both eyes I am 85% blind and they are trying to save what vision I have so hopefully it will work I am told that's not always the case so im a little scared-please excuse any miss spelled words for im on my lap top my phone spells for me but it is just to small! thank you for sharing your story!
Thank you very much les4560! Me too! Oh no, sounds like you've had your own share of problems with your eyes too. That's very scary...you're already blinded in both eyes? I hope these upcoming procedures can prolong your vision somehow!
My dad had surgery for cataracts too, so I am familiar with how they handle that procedure. It seems a little easier as the healing is quite quick if I recall correctly. Forgive me as I am unfamiliar with this procedure, a shunt? Isn't that to help remove fluids? You poor thing...anything medical is beyond stressful as you never know the outcome. I really do hope everything ends on a happy note for you!
Thank you for sharing your eye experiences with me! And I am happy to share whatever struggle I have if it means helping another. I really appreciate your thoughtful comment!
thank you so much you are a sweet heart -yes the reasin for the shunts is t0 keep th fluid drain to keep the ptessure down and ten I can keep what little eye site I have-but it is a roll of the dice icould end with what vision I have or I could have less than I have or icould lose what I have but there are no options for one thing is 100% for sure witj out the surgerys I will go completely go blind or close to it for only about 20% goes black blind with glaucoma again sorry for the spelling! I do have a question how long ago did this nightmare happen to you?
You are too! Oh my, that sounds so painful...ouch! Exactly, it's like you don't really have a choice in the matter with these things. The fact that you can see despite everything you had to go through is amazing. I'm always impressed with what people live through. You're a trooper though, that's for sure. You also sound like you have a positive view on it too; none of this is ever easy to cope with.
No need to apologize for the spelling! I understand what you're saying My particular eye problems came about back in 2004, I was 19 at the time going into college.
That's how I feel about it too (or try to when I am not a puddle of sadness)! Especially with things you have no control over, it's better to just ride the wave. I do have my eyesight, but it's always been bad to begin with. My prescription is awful, but I can see so that's all that matters at the end of the day.
Good Morning Black_Cat_Girl!!! I have to laugh at one of your previous comments because although I love babies, I am not an animal fan so something must be wrong with me lol...I guess that's why I am here though...(smiley face)
Hi jocie609!! Oh my gosh, I meant it more like people who LOATHE them in an abusive sort of way. I've heard people in the past make very disturbing comments about babies/animals that made me question if they were a borderline serial killer. There is nothing wrong with you! Except we're all broken people...so you're not wrong
Thank you very much! Haha, I see what you're saying; it's all about perspective. Sometimes I'll check out the news or look into what it's like in another country to give myself a reality check on life. It's needed as we tend to think everything is awful in our little world.
But we know that it's not, it just feels so intense when you have depression. Often times I worry I come off selfish or self-centered even though I am well aware that I'm not the only one dealing with something like this. Glad it could help you somehow!
Wow! I had no idea of your eye troubles. I'm sorry that you've been through so much difficulty and pain. I'm also glad that you now have your sight. What a gift! I pray you will always have your sight and not have such troubles and need for surgeries in the future.
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Oh wow...I've never heard of a retinal tear like hers. I always assumed it was uncommon (if you took care of your eyes) but I guess not! Seems way too young to have it. Then again, I was only 19 when I had my surgery done.
my thanks ** to true friends 
Advice Fluoxetine and Propranolol 
The breakup has led me to such a bad condition. 
Solution to my symptoms
