Last Spring I had cataract surgery on both eyes. Because the actual surgery only takes about ten minutes and is "relatively" painless, I decided not to have the anesthesia during the left eye procedure so that I could remember the experience. As I lay there during the process trying to squelch my panic I focused on the almost painful bright light and the image I was seeing/experiencing. I thought, wow, this would make a great abstract painting so I began to make mental notes of exact colors and tried to find shapes in all the brightness. As soon as I was wheeled to the recovery room I found a scrap of paper and scratched a few notes before the memory began to turn fuzzy. When I got back to my studio I chose an 18"x18" stretched canvas, dug out my notes and proceeded in my attempt to capture the shapes and colors from my experience. On my next trip to the doctor who performed the surgery I carted my painting along with me. He was amazed that I followed through with such a bizarre undertaking and was so enamored with the work that he purchased it that very day! They convinced me to try the right eye with a small amount of the anesthesia and I felt certain that I could make another painting to compare to the left eye. Well, guess what? Whatever the drug is that they use works even in small doses, I couldn't remember ----!
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| "Cataract" 18x18 acrylic on canvas |
This is the finished painting. I am happy with the result and it does bring back the experience. I am disappointed that I was not able to recall enough detail from the right eye surgery because I was really looking forward to comparing the two paintings.
