MY NEIGHBOR DEREK LUSCHE was seeking the center of gravity in his new bird sculpture. “I am going to hang it and maybe make it part of a mobile.”
“I knew I always wanted to be an artist and had the creative outlet to eventually get there. I was able to create and do whatever I envisioned. It’s like having your own little world to create.”
Derek was born legally blind, then diagnosed with glaucoma. But it was a work accident in 2009 that took his vision completely. “I was on a job site and I got hit by a timber-frame floor support pretty much right in front of the eyes.” He has slowly gained some vision back since the incident, and although it’s still blurry, he is pursuing a life in art.
“I did some paintings totally blind. I maybe should display them, but I don’t,” he said, noting the canvases are in his studio as an inspiration.
“I look at that stuff and say, ‘Well, I can still do this whether I can see or not.’”