Jim Hansel

 

Jim Hansel is not only talented, but he has had to overcome special challenges to paint beautifully. In
1972, at the age of twelve, Jim was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition called Stargardts.
This eye condition has left Jim legally blind. Despite Jim’s visual limitations, he has learned to create
beautifully detailed images with the use of magnifiers and low-vision aids. As Jim paints in the detail
work on a painting, he is working only one or two inches away from the canvas. Yet, while he
painstakingly adds these details, he has a clear picture in his mind of the final product.
!!!!!Jim also relies on his camera to capture his ideas and bring them into focus. Like many other
artists, Jim uses photographs to bring the landscapes and wildlife models back to his studio. At this
point, Jim will enlarge the images, if it is necessary, for him to see them more clearly. But, snapping
pictures is not the same as painting original oils. Amazingly, as Jim puts on his glasses and begins his
brush strokes, his paintings come into focus. But, only a few square inches at a time. Jim believes that
due to his vision, he spends more time on a painting adding more detail than many other artists. He
has spent up to four months on a single painting.