Thirty-Eight Degrees
15 ½ ” x 19 ½ “ Acrylic on Canvas
Represents the progression of blindness – I wanted to bring awareness of how my visual world is closing in, the tunnel vision, the darkness of night and 38 degrees field of vision. The cruel irony of being a visual artist losing vision, but not losing sight of who I am – An artist with a vision and hope.
Artist's Bio
My name is Christy Johnson, I have retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative, progressive disease that will eventually rob me of my sight. Having been diagnosed only 2 years ago, I learned that I now have 38 degrees of periphery, suffer from severe night blindness, and I am having difficulty being able to see certain colors.
I live in a rural area called Castalian Springs in Tennessee an hour north of Nashville. I live on the family farm, it has been my family’s home for the last 200 years. I currently work as a Lean Coordinator in a local factory and do holiday window painting.
I love to kayak, swim, and hike – exploring the lakes, trails and countryside which inspires me to create the beauty of nature, people and animals.
For as long as I can remember, I have always had a passion in arts through my school years and into my adulthood. I did not go to art school; however I did have an amazing art teacher in high school for three years, and I continue to explore and learn on my own. My style is emotional, colorful, surreal and eclectic, much like some of my idols: Salvador Dali, Vincent VanGogh and Monet. My practice is mainly acrylic, mixed media and pencil/charcoal. This painting “Thirty-Eight Percent” represents the progression of blindness – I wanted to bring awareness of how my visual world is closing in, the tunnel vision, the darkness of night and 38 degrees field of vision. The cruel irony of being a visual artist losing vision, but not losing sight of who I am - An artist with a vision and hope.
Email: Christy37031@gmail.com
