Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Bright Eyes

An Ocularist is an eye specialist who designs, makes, and fits artificial eyes. The ocularist shows the patient how to handle and care for it and provides long-term care through periodic examinations.

I watched the Ocularist Kim Erickson video and was impressed, shocked and amazed at how important and how many details truly go into designing and fitting an artificial eye for someone. It's not like the artificial eye in Pirates of the Caribbean where you just popped it out, popped it in. There is both a science and an art to the craft.

This specialty combines an understanding of color and artistry with expertise in the science of ocularisty. However not everyone who is fitted with an artificial eye is an adult. Some babies are born with a condition called anophthalmia. Which means one or both eyes didn't form during the early stages of pregnancy.

Each artificial eye is molded, sculpted, polished and painstakingly painted to match the patient’s natural coloring. The finished product is so lifelike that I would hesitate to pick one up.

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