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Ron Davidson

Ron Davidson's Artwork



Artist Statement

My name is Ron Davidson and I am a Blind Woodcarver. When I was 14 I was found to have an eye disease called Uveitis and later I developed Iritis a similar disease. The disease affects the pupil which controls the amount of light to the retina. After a few years the eye starts to lose peripheral vision.
When I was 18 I was involved in a industrial accident where I lost my right eye completely and 70 percent of the vision in my left eye. I worked as a furniture and cabinet builder for most of my life until 2002 when I had another bad episode of the Uveitis and my field of vision went to the size of a straw. I was unable to continue my current job because they considered me a liability because of my vision so I began my woodcarving career.  I met a great friend on the Wood Carving Illustrated message board forum and over the past three years we have been trying to fine tune a method of putting a pattern on wood for a vision impaired or blind person so they could carve. The system we use is to basically burn away the surface of the wood and leave a raised line similar to the Braille system. Most of my carvings are what are referred to as relief carvings but I also do 3 dimensional carving. I have never seen any of my carvings but to me they help keep me in touch with the sighted world because I try and make them a visual and a tactile work of art. I don’t always carve and in my off time I do volunteer work at the local low vision center where we educate schools and the general public about eye diseases and blindness and how to assist them.  I also go around the country and do motivational speaking to others who have vision problems and the use if guide dogs as a means of travel. I also donate a portion of each sale of my carvings to the guide dog school where I received my partner Lou.

My contact information is:

Ron Davidson
960 N. Robin Rd
Wichita,Ks 67212
316-516-3390