Getting new eyes... Sort of.

Hello! First off, I hope you are all doing well (or at least surviving). This past year has been a real struggle for most people (especially Ukrainians and the many other nations enduring ongoing wars). Which is saying something, seeing as the past 4+ years have royally sucked for humanity at large. But, hopefully, the worst is nearly behind us.

I'm sure some of you have noticed my art production has decreased greatly these past few years. There are a few reasons for this but one of the primary issues is my eyesight. Starting in the 2010s, my eyesight has been on the decline. I went legally blind in my right eye a couple years ago and have since almost went blind in my left eye. I can see well enough with my glasses to walk around my home but I can't drive or walk around town (can't see street signs, people, cars, lights, etc.). I'm still able to create artwork but it involves far more time and effort, especially making details. I recently invested in a 43" monitor and still, it's a struggle to see what I'm doing (including writing this journal entry). For this reason, I've found it easier to just make symmetrical art or revamp old pieces (for the time being).

The cause of my eye problems are cataracts in my lenses. However, there is a surgery I can get to restore most of my eyesight (which I'm having done in June, hopefully). I'm getting my lenses replaced with synthetic ones. It won't be cheap and the recovery process will take months but it's all worth it if I can see again. Just to be able to see faces again would be a great improvement. Not being able to read people's facial expressions when they're talking to me has been challenging.

Anyway, that's where I'm at. I'll still be making artwork until I get the surgery, it'll just be slow going. Once my eyes are fixed, I hope to start producing artwork regularly (both digital and traditional). There are a couple series I've wanted to paint for years now and hopefully, I can do them this year.

Take care,

-JEM/CDK