Legally Blind Grand Rapids Artist Still Painting Beautiful Pictures

If Ludwig van Beethoven can compose his Ninth Symphony while nearly completely deaf, an artist, painter, can conquer another disability as well. And that is just what Grand Rapids artist, Nancy Lee is doing.

Fox17 had a heartwarming story about Nancy recently.

Macular degeneration, which one in ten of us will get with age, is the degeneration of the macula, which is basically our central vision. Nancy has Wet Macular Degeneration. SightMatter.com says this is where there may be blurry or blind spots in the central vision as well as distortions and a loss in color vision.

Nancy is now legally blind in both eyes, but she hasn't let it slow her down at all.

She, amazingly, continues to paint lush landscapes and garden scenes.

Nancy's attitude and strength are amazing. She said:

"There are so many people that have something happen in their life. They think that's the end. For me, it was the beginning of something new."

Nancy has always been an artist, since childhood.

She studied painting at the Smithsonian, has worked as a copyist, replicating works of many masters to hang in the halls of hospitals and universities, all the while developing her own style and work.

Today, she paints in her "studio" at Marsh Ridge Apartments, a retirement community in Grand Rapids.

She does have peripheral vision, and by using well-trained muscle memory, is still able to create beautiful works using, as she says, "what's in my head."

Nancy, who is 87, has an art show coming up, The New Art of Nancy Lee, the official title for her show, featuring her forms of florals, landscapes, and English garden scenes, will be at March Ridge, 510 Marsh Ridge Dr. NW, off Lake Michigan Drive, today from 2 to 7 p.m., with many paintings available for purchase.

Nancy Lee:

"I would encourage everybody who is losing their eyesight: Remember, you haven't lost you mind."