My friend Vernon went blind 20 years ago. Yet, he still paints! I asked him if he remembers colors, & uses that memory?
“Yes”, was his answer. He added “And I always paint in oils”
The above oil painting titled “White Glads at Night” is my fave. It blows my mind that he painted it, blind, with a knife. Vernon also designs gardens to this day.
Vernon told me, ” I can show you the exact spot in my garden where these Glads grow”
Above in mixed media, is “Soup”
Vernon said, “I used several stencils from the Dollar Store for the background. The word SOUP & the A & Z are on raised wood blocks (about 1/8th of an inch). It’s an homage to braille, in that it is tactile.”
There are lots of colors in the above painting, “Tenements”. I asked Vernon how he knows which tube of paint is what color?
Vernon answered, “I have a bar code reader, that reads out loud to me. On the tubes of paint, the color is listed in the code. I line them up accordingly. Tenements is done in 3 colors, mixed in variations and applied very thickly”.
“Rhapsody in Blue”
This painting was inspired by a jazz evening w/Molly Johnson at the Soul Pepper Theater . Molly is an amazing singer, & friend of Vernon. He sat in a front row & is still inspired by the love and recognition Molly showed him when she sat at his table.
Vernon noted, “thoughts inspired by Molly were: “cello note”, Molly lead, ultra marine. All other singers = other blues. The shades progress to a light turquoise for depth. It’s painted using a cardboard template, with a brush. Check out Molly’s Kensington Jazz Fest
“Construction”
Vernon told me, “this painting is based on a construction site’s nails, screws, black nails, rot & climaxes in rust. All colors represent something at a construction site.
Visit Vernon’s Website where you can read his bio, inquire about showing his art at your amazing venue, or simply buy, or commission one of his works of art. A direct email link is available on the site.
❤️ ❤️ Vernon, I love you! ❤️ ❤️
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