Art by Haleigh Maurice

About Me

I have always been interested in art, drawing mostly. However, due to an unfortunate lack of dexterity as a result of a degenerative, neuromuscular disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, I cannot even hold a pencil. This has frustrated me a great deal because I have always had so many images in my head that I wanted to put down on paper, but could not. Technology has helped to alleviate this frustration by allowing me to create beautiful pictures on my computer. Whenever I see something that interests me, whether it’s from a photograph, another piece of art, a lovely piece of scenery, or something I see out the car window, I want to re-create it in my own style. What you see here are my impressions of things I see.

A few years ago I was cleaning out my desk, and I found a postcard someone sent me many years ago when I was in college. On the front is a picture by Vincent van Gogh called “Starry Night on the Rhône.” It is without a doubt the most recognized piece of art by van Gogh, and also his most mislabeled. Ask anyone, and they will call it “Starry Night.

I have always been intrigued by Vincent van Gogh’s work, which is no doubt why I kept the postcard for 30 years. I looked long and hard at the postcard, and thought “I can draw that”. And so I did. Below are my impressions of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings. For comparison purposes, I put the original beneath, or next to my version.

All of my works are my personal impressions of the great Masters.

Enjoy!

My interpretations of other great artist works

After I tried my hand at Van Gogh, I thought I would try drawing a few works by Gauguin. It was truly a challenge because I had never attempted the human form in great detail. I wanted the people I drew to show expression on their faces and through their posture. Following Gauguin, I experimented with other artists, Cézanne, Modigliani, Leslie Philip Hale, Edward Hopper, Botticelli, Matisse, Renoir, Seurat, and Lovis Corinth.

One thing I try to focus on are the eyes. I wanted to see what my subject was feeling when I finished with their eyes. The more I draw, the more I learn. Sometimes I draw just for practice. Sometimes I draw just to test my patience, although mostly I draw for my own fun.