Blind Artist Vision: blog by Stella De Genova
It’s February, more than half way through the long winter. For those of us living in a climate with changing seasons, this definitely seems like the longest one. Some days seem never ending but instead of getting lost in it, it’s a good time to catch up on reading, trying out new recipes and finding creative outlets such as crafts, writing and art.
And there are the snowy days. There are the big snow storms that make us all hunker down and dig out and there are the light snowfalls that just make everything look brighter and cleaner in a magical way. Some folks can’t wait for a good snow to get out and have winter fun. Personally, I prefer enjoying the view from inside my warm house.
Being legally blind with retinitis pigmentosa, the snow can be a challenge. Due to my eye condition, I normally need the best light possible but when I step out on a snowy day, and especially the day after a snow when the sun is bright again, it becomes a glaring white out. Wintery views are beautiful but for me, they are hard to appreciate in reality.
Sad you may say, but here is the best part of being an artist: I make my own reality! If asked what color is snow, all of us would say white. My pastel instructor has, through the years, gotten us into the habit of never using black or white pastels but mixes of darks and lights to attain the appearance of those two extremes. When I could see colors, I mostly did charcoal or graphite illustrations, and now that I can’t see colors, I have a freedom to experiment with lots of colors. I find the values to be much more important than the hues.
I have enjoyed doing a snowy scene every year for quite a while now and as you can see, I like using many colors. I’ve used purples, blues, pinks and yellows. Snow is an empty slate for the reflections of the sun and the sun is literally a prism of colors. Here are some of my snowy scenes, which I hope you enjoy. And the next time you’re looking at the snow, let your mind take you on a color journey.
Amazing as always!