ABOUT US

The Name  VIP - I'm a visually impaired person.  I have been losing my sight over the past 15 years due to the long-term complications from diabetes and I  was registered blind in the year 2000.


Photoart - I use the name photoart as I combine digital photography with image manipulation to produce my artwork.


Before I started losing my sight I was a very keen amateur photographer and painter.  It was in 2003  when I first tried out a small digital camera and  I began to wonder if there was any possibility of me being able to combine digital photography and computer manipulation to generate artwork.  I knew sighted people were doing this kind of manipulation but  I didn't know if it would be possible for a person like myself.

                   

However, by using a large  42" monitor and high magnification combined with the ability to work with selections, layers and many of the tools in computer editing and painting programs I have been able to produce the work you will see on the photoart page.

One of the unique selling features of my work is for you to be able to hang a print and then to tell your friends, visitors or family that it has been produced by an artist who is registered blind.  I guarantee it will cause much discussion as to how someone who can't see a herd of stampeding elephants 3 feet away ( oo'ps sorry -PC incorrect -91.5 centimetres) could create a piece of artwork.

My long-term aim for VIP photoart is obviously world domination of the art scene (well, everybody needs a goal in life) but for now I will be content to sell some prints.

Disaabilty

One of the most important issues facing visually impaired people is that of unemployment.
Did you know that most visually impaired people are unemployed and have little, or in many cases no opportunity, of gaining full-time or even part-time paid employment.
This was exactly the position I found myself in and after many years of wasting my time listening to the pathetic excuses as to why I was not suitable for the most basic of jobs I decided to set up my own business hence this website.
My long term aim is obviously to have a successful business and hopefully in the future i would like to give other disabled people the opportunity of employment.

          

          Kindest regards

                                Bob Smith