Yellow, is a color that I love (especially flowers) and that I use a great deal in my art. Over the course of a couple of years, I slowly began to realize that at times when looking at an image I would be working on, my vision seemed to play tricks on me. Especially when working with lighter greens or blues, I would see for a split second a yellowish tone, similar to times when after being out in the sun and coming inside, for a brief minute or two the brightness of the sun would block my vision when looking at my surroundings until my eyes adjusted. Over time I realized I couldn’t be sure if the hue of the greens or blues were accurate. I also found that darker purple pencils markings looked more brown than purple. And that sense of not seeing color accurately when making art began to trouble me and get in my way creatively.
Then, during a routine eye exam, I was told I was developing cataracts. I was surprised but then realized the cataracts were causing these yellowish tones. After thoughtful consideration I decided to have cataract surgery. I had my one eye done almost two weeks ago and I have to say, the results have been astounding! I realized that so much of how I had been seeing the world around me had gradually developed a slightly golden glow that I hadn’t noticed. Everything. Every surface, my reflection and my artwork.
Now, everything is brighter, when looking out of my right eye, everything is clearer and a cleaner tone of color. As I’ve begun working on my art again, I no longer see a momentary tone of yellow when working with blues or greens and when I mark some purple pencil on paper, I can clearly see the color purple! I’m looking forward to even more improvement after surgery on my other eye and the impact it will have on my creative flow and I invite you to join me on this journey.
