According to my phone, the tree in this sketch is an ash. That makes sense to me since the seeds hanging from the branches remind me of maple seeds. Maple and ash are both hardwoods, so I imagine their seeds would be similar. Please visit my Etsy shop for my artwork for sale inspired by […]
This sketch is chock full of information. I began by sketching a photo taken in 1960 on a camping trip, of me and my two brothers standing aside my parents’ 1957 Chevy. I was looking for old photographs that depicted Mike, my autistic brother, in a cheerful mood. I know there were fun times, but […]
Mike would hurt himself (presumably) when he was frustrated. Although at one point in his diagnostic journey, doctors thought he was Tourretic and his hitting himself and biting his hand was nothing more than a ‘complex motor tick‘. Whether Mike had Tourette Syndrome because those responsible for his care could not suggest a plan to […]
One of my first photos of my brother Mike was a portrait of him in his group home. His hand was posed, his wrist arched. I put my own hand in the frame, reaching out to him. On another occasion, I brought my camera, tripod and a shutter-release cable, so that I could snap a […]
This is a preliminary drawing of a comprehensive list of images that represent my autistic brother, Mike, and my relationship with him. Included in such a compendium would be some of his unique hand gestures and postures, visual characteristics such as his mis-aligned eye, some kind of visualization of communication, and other symbols, not yet […]
This is a sketch of a photo I took wherein Mike is reaching out to take my hand. Mom, Dad and I were visiting Mike at his group home. During those times (in the late 1990s), I always took my camera. Maybe I’m cherry picking the images in this retrospective, looking for evidence that Mike […]
Two years ago on July 12, my brother Michael passed away. Mike was autistic, nonverbal and very low functioning. I began this blog in 2013 to talk about my brother Michael and what it was like as the sibling of an autistic individual in the 1950s and 60s, when very few people know what autism […]
This double portrait focused on the last of the two ladies in the first sketch of this series. I like the gesture of the lady speaking and attitude of concentration of the lady listening to the story. Please visit my Etsy shop for my artwork for sale inspired by my autistic brother Mike at: https://autisminspiredart.etsy.com […]
Another bench facing a lake in a local park. Please visit my Etsy shop for my artwork for sale inspired by my autistic brother Mike at: https://autisminspiredart.etsy.com My other artwork for sale is at: https://otherartbyjack.etsy.com
My photo of Brooklyn Public Library’s enormous Grand Army Plaza entrance did not immediately reveal the wealth of visual imagery present on the columns and the ironwork above the doors. I wish I had taken pictures of each detail: they so beautifully represent all that is available for everyone to read in the public library (unless […]
