I hadn't realized that I was gradually holding my book further and further away. The first memorable sign was not being able to focus on a splinter to catch it with the tweezers. It became awkward to work at the high kitchen table - too close to the paper - and needles got harder to thread. None was a big deal by itself, but knowing that eye problems can be a symptom of some diseases, and having had years of exposure to the sun, I thought I'd better get my eyes tested. So I went along to the optometrist and was pleased to learn that my eyes are healthy, and that my difficulty with close-up focusing was a 'normal', age-related condition called presbyopia. It was so reassuring to know that I could expect to have good vision for the rest of my life - I wasn't going to go gradually blind - but would just need glasses for optimal vision.

The optometrist gave me a prescription, but as it was morning and my eyes felt rested, and the consulting room lights were very bright, I could read even the smallest print on a newspaper just fine. Maybe glasses would be a waste of money? But over the following weeks,reading late at night became increasingly frustrating. Often it was just too hard to focus on the words and I'd give up. The final straw was when I parked under a streetlight to read a road-map, but couldn't make out the tiny words in its yellow light. A cheap set of supermarket reading glasses only gave me a headache, so I went and got the prescription ones. Since my prescription is weak and I only tend to use them when reading for an extended period, I opted for simple reading glasses. Fortunately, I have health insurance, which covered a good part of the cost. Later on, I might opt for bifocals, which I think would be helpful for drawing, or one of the other multi-focal lens options.

I didn't think the glasses were that big a deal - they just seemed to make reading more comfortable - until one day I put my book down on my lap and was momentarily amazed by the fabric on my jeans. The fibers looked amazing! Such defined texture! I'd become so used to everything being ever-so-slightly out of focus, that I hadn't realized that I was actually seeing things differently to how they really were. I opened my sketchbook and did a double-take at my drawings. What I thought was a soft texture was in fact quite grainy. The pencil work was far crisper than I thought. I wonder how much impact my worsening vision has had on my recent artwork!

Taking care of your vision is important to all of us, but doubly so to an artist. You want to see your subject and your artwork crisply into a ripe old age. Many problems can be detected early with regular screening, and the right prescription glasses, if you need them, might really make a difference to your work! Check out this eye exam schedule and related articles by the About.com guide to Vision, Troy Bedinghaus, O.D., for more information on eye health through your life.