ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A vibrant Downtown St. Augustine was filled with tourists the day before Thanksgiving.
Shoppers lined the brick streets, emptying their wallets on various items.
Some were in for a surprise when they learned what it took for a local artist to create his paintings.
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Steve Anderson has a background in marketing and design. But it came to a halt when his ophthalmologist gave him a new diagnosis.
"About 11 years ago, I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and it's a genetic eye disease that tends to skip generations actually," he said.
Anderson said his eyesight got gradually worse over the years. Now, he only has about 5% vision. In the dark, he's completely blind.
"Having my entire life revolve about my vision, I went into quite a pity party for three or four years," Anderson said.
Confused about his next step, Anderson turned to one of his life-long passions for an outlet. He began a painting series on local architecture around Downtown St. Augustine.
"It turned out I was quite good at it," Anderson said. "I was able to paint photo-realistically and use a very different color pallet because of my color blindness and not being able to see regular color."
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He said he has sold more than 250 paintings in five years.
Clients can buy his art at Zora Bora Gallery on Cuna Street in the historic district.
Anderson said it will be his last collection, called, "Going Out of Vision."
In less than two years, he said, he will lose the last of his vision.
But he's optimistic that his artwork will forever be etched into his mind.
"I am absolutely joyous," Anderson said. "I've developed a positive outlook and the painting really did this for me. It gave me new confidence, a new fortitude."
Click here for more of his work.
Cox Media Group
