For the 10-year anniversary of The Ophthalmologist’s Art of Eyes, we’re excited to present the second volume of our two-part series. This collection features images, illustrations, and paintings from our diverse audience of practitioners, visually impaired artists, and beyond.
Four Scenes
After being diagnosed with RP/Usher’s syndrome, Connie Avery channeled her passion into a fine arts degree and a vibrant art career. She loves experimenting with different painting styles and has exhibited her work in numerous solo and group shows across the country, earning several awards.
https://www.artlifting.com/collections/connie-avery
The Final Stain
Derek Ogbourne is a UK-based fine artist and founder of the Museum of Optography, which is composed of a diverse collection of art relating to the last image seen on the retina at the moment of death. The project started in 2007 and has since been showcased in galleries worldwide.
www.museumofoptography.net
The Dance of Birds
In 2014, at 20, Amy collapsed from a brain hemorrhage caused by an Artero-Venous Malformation (AVM) while working in Sardinia. She required emergency treatment and spent weeks in the hospital – but it was here that she decided, once recovered enough, to pursue her dream of becoming a portrait painter. Amy says “my experiences have deepened sensitivity as an artist. I now create art that reflects my vision loss by erasing parts of detailed drawings.”
https://amyizat.com/
Vision of the Past
Miguel Paciuc-Beja is an ophthalmologist at Denver Health Medical Center with an interest in MTI Photoscreening. He explains: “MTI Photoscreening was once a common method for screening children's vision. It involves using a high-resolution polaroid camera to capture images of undilated eyes and estimate refractive errors and other potential issues. While the MTI Photoscreener is no longer in production, more advanced and modern vision screening technologies have since emerged.”
Through the Lens
Donjeta Decani is an ophthalmology resident at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo, with a passion for art – especially using acrylic canvas paintings.
https://www.instagram.com/donjetadecaniartist/
Abstractions
Patricia L. Caulfield is a visually impaired abstract artist who works primarily with mixed media on cradleboard. Her techniques include acrylic paint, vine charcoal, conté crayon, pencil, collage, sanding, and distressing. As a dedicated patient advocate, Patricia founded an art show and silent auction benefiting the Glaucoma Research Foundation in San Francisco for 2022, 2023, and 2024. She curates art from visually impaired artists worldwide, highlighting their stories and experiences with vision loss. Patricia also lectures at Boston University’s biomedical neuroscience graduate program, discussing glaucoma, vision loss, and its connection to art.
www.patricialcaulfield.com
Tetris Braille
Clarke Reynolds, a visual artist with severe sight impairment, uses Braille as a medium to explore shape, color, and size in his artwork. Over the past three years, he has exhibited his Braille-based art in multiple solo shows, including his debut at Quantus Gallery in London. Reynolds aims to modernize Braille through workshops, exhibitions, and public art, serving as a role model for those with visual impairments. He is also a patron for the charity VICTA, which supports visually impaired children and young adults.
https://www.seeingwithoutseeing.com/
A Matter of Perspective
Lindsey Whitelaw is a fine artist working in collaboration with Moorfields Eye Hospital, creating paintings to raise awareness of visual impairment. She focuses on comparative artworks, pairing her original pieces with interpretations by visually impaired individuals.
Five Faces
Marina Marinkovic, an ocular oncologist at Leiden University Medical Centre, is also a trained photographer from the Photo Academy in Amsterdam. One of her first photography projects after graduation was a portrait series featuring individuals with artificial eyes in their own environments, inspired by her professional experience in surgically removing eyes and interacting with patients with prosthetic eyes.
