I am asked how I make visual art without the benefit of sight. Being a writer and artist who is blind does not always mean I create alone. I am a collaborator, I get a surge of personal satisfaction when a group project succeeds, receives positive feedback or receives praise and recognition. It is larger than me, honors the hard work, insight and forethought of others.
Sometimes, though, I get stuck or run up against a barrier I cannot navigate when I am working solo. When it happens, I open my networking space and search for an answer. It could be a group, organization, small group or a good friend or colleague agreeing to assist me. My sister, Cheryll, is the photographer responsible for most of my book covers. I describe my idea and she sorts through her expansive catalog to find the right image. Other times I cast a line out to a wide audience, like when I wanted feedback on an article about blindness, low vision and participating in a choir. If you would like a copy of the article, email me at president@friendsinart.org .
In terms of my mixed media and collage art, I get assistance with trimming, gluing and orienting myself. If you want to know where to buy various sizes of paper punches, including one that resembles a jigsaw puzzle piece, I am your gal.:)
I ask my family for the simple things like making sure I have the right color of paint or paper. I use the Be My Eyes app for sighted assistance and AIRA is another subscription-based video call assistant app I use when accuracy is important, like for photos of my work. I use a product label scanning app called Seeing AI to identify a product, then mark it for easier identification. I use what is called RFID labels from a company called HABLE. The app is called SpeechLable. The adhesive stickers can be scanned and record a spoken description and saved to the app.
Jerry and April both assist with hot gluing because I like my fingerprints. 🤕🤕
Another ask is to assist me when choosing paint pens in the vast assortment I have acquired over the years. For some reason AI is not good at this unless I use white paper and draw on it for a color analysis. It is easier and faster to just ask a person. I still have not produced a reliable way to keep the fifty or so acrylic markers and gel pens sorted by color.
Things I do not need help with encompasses about 95% of my art-making and framing and 98% of my writing. I do have a few trusted writers who love to help me with simple tasks like checking my poem is left-justified or formatted according to a journal’s guidelines if I am stuck.
Creating happens in a internalized, cerebral bubble but taking it outside the dome is invigorating. It builds my confidence. I began collage with small panels and over time, expanded the size to 18 x 24 canvas boards. I started simply, then grew with the experience.
I gravitate to intimate art pieces but hope to grow with the process.
Visit my gallery:
https://www.annchiappetta.com/whispering-vines-studio
Wood wall art featuring a black bird accented in yellow and orange on a green lefy background in a dark wood frame.
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