To bring context to this collection, I have to begin with the disorder that left me blind for three years. During that time, I lived with minimal vision and a world reduced to gray scale. Later, the disorder also left me paralyzed, but the loss of my sight was its own kind of devastation. Although I was told my vision would never return, it did. The return was gradual and layered.
These color palettes, named "Colors to Live By," were created during a manic celebration as I realized I could discern color. What's more, I could discern hues. The palettes became a way to ground the frenzy of that moment. It felt as if a classical painter had begun brushing color back into my world, each shade arriving like a sensory explosion. Blue crashed over me like an ocean wave. Green felt like being swallowed by a forest. Yellow was like staring wide-eyed into the sun. It was overwhelming.
Creating these palettes helped me organize the rush of color returning to my vision. They slowed me down, calmed me, and allowed me to immerse myself in color without drowning in it. Above all, these compositions are a deep celebration of hope regained.
