Jeffrey Batchelor
Jeffrey Batchelor
An Artist's Vision:
Figuratively and Literally
My career as an artist has been entirely focused on realism and magic realism. I've endeavored to dive deeper into visual acuity, detail, and the understanding of realistically portrayed imagery. I work with themes and concepts to encompass a feeling or idea, and I play with images fantastically to draw the viewer into these ideas. My work is classically inspired but conscious of modernity.
For thirty years I have had to accommodate problems with my eyes. Visual obstructions inside my eyes appeared back then and got dramatically worse quickly. I was able, however, to work around these issues and forge ahead. In the last seven or eight years though, the problems became worse, and I could paint very little without experiencing double vision. It became clear to me that to continue my painting career I would need surgery.
In February of 2023 I had a vitrectomy to remove the clouded obstructed fluid inside my left eye. I knew the risks, and indeed there was a significant complication. Two days after surgery I experienced a detached retina and was rushed into emergency surgery. The repair was successful, but the road to full recovery was long and included the removal of a small carcinoma. I went into the studio every day and stood in front of the piece I was working on (“Reflection”). One day, about three months after the retinal repair, I stood in front of the piece on my easel, and I could SEE. I started painting again. My vision continued to improve, and with a later lens replacement in my right eye my vision is better now than I ever could have hoped for.
Realism for me is about intention. My technique encompasses an understanding of light, color, and manipulation in a way that connects to my very human understanding and depiction of objects and ideas. I choose and create every color, every line. I seek to bring out what is “real” with a new realization for the viewer.
Now with my vision so drastically improved I can move on with my painting. I can see so much more than I've seen before and I'm excited for the future where my creative ability will not be limited by my ability to see.