For as long as I can remember, I have not had a mind’s eye – the ability to visualize. This aphantasia has created an interesting relationship with visual art. For many years, I relied on photography to record and tell the story of what’s around me. However, after a hand surgery left me unable to use an SLR camera, I took a friend’s dare to pick up a paintbrush. The planets and starscapes that have emerged gnaw at the edges of my memory in a way that seem to tease with what is just beyond conscious reach. Since I am not able to visualize what I’m trying to paint, it’s a matter of just trusting what appears.
These days, I work primarily in paint, though I occasionally still work with photography and the written word. You can see a little of everything I do at @tinytall on Instagram, or on my website.