Blind London, Ont. artist has a unique vision
At the age of 18, Courtney Johnson lost her vision after being diagnosed with a brain condition.
“I have a brain condition that acts as a fake brain tumor, so it puts too much pressure on my nerves,” she said. “I never expected to pick up a paintbrush or anything again.”
But her impaired vision is not stopping her from putting creativity into action.
With support from her family, including her two children, her husband and her seeing-eye dog, she managed to turn her love for art and colour into a full-time job.
“I figured 'I’m blind I can’t do art.' They said 'Why not? Go on YouTube, listen to some videos, try to find you something to give you that escape.'”
That advice was the beginning of a new journey as an artist that started three years ago.
People can find the mother of two on TikTok and Instagram at 'Beyond Seeing Artistry' where she posts videos of how she creates pieces of fluid art, some of which she sells online.
Courtney Johnson demonstrates an art technique on TikTok. (Source: Beyond Seeing Artistry / TikTok)
Her unique vision allows her to see some shapes and colours, but not everything is clear.
“Picture looking through a frosted window and say your partner is on the other side, you would know that’s a human because you’re talking to them. But for me, it’s all blurred.”
Johnson said her colour vision varies day to day. “I just use whatever colour vision that I have. There can be days where I wake up and I can’t see anything.”
To Johnson, art is not just something to see, it’s a feeling.
“For me, it’s the only thing that I can fully immerse myself in that melts away all the world noise, it takes away my pain, my trauma, my PSTD, and I can pour all of those emotions into the canvas.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.