Man loses sight, but 'sees' angels

BY KEVIN WOODRUFF , Wyoming County Press Examiner

 

When it comes to making angels, James Hanna, 37, uses his imagination to give them form.

The Mehoopany resident lost his sight seven years ago as a result of diabetes complications, but shortly afterwards, he began sculpting.

Hanna said that he started sculpting as a way to relax and as a form of therapy.

"It was something to keep me occupied," Hanna said. "Just my way of keeping my stress level down."

But, the sculpting became much more than that.

When he first began sculpting, he created abstract shapes and round dishes, but as he began to get more comfortable with clay, he started sculpting clay angels.

"I started off making simple shapes," Hanna said. "Just some abstract pieces, but after a while I started to make more complex sculptures."

After he started making clay angels, he and his family realized that he had a real talent.

Hanna only began to make clay angels this past summer, but has already gained a lot of attention from it.

He took advice from his mother, Gail Vieczorek, who told him he should start taking his work to craft shows in the area.

At a craft show this past summer; Hanna said that he was approached by Rose Stone, an artist from Arts YOUniverse, in Wilkes-Barre, who was interested in his work.

"She said that she really liked my sculptures and bought two of them," Hanna said. "We exchanged numbers, and within a few weeks she called me and asked me to feature my work at the gallery."

Twenty-four of Hanna's clay angels will be featured at Arts YOUniverse through the month of November and two of them will stay as a permanent exhibit.

Hanna said that all of his sculptures come from a vision within his mind, and when he makes a clay angel, he must visualize it first.

"I have a vision in my head as to what I think it should look like," Hanna said. "I just start sculpting from there."

Hanna has a carved Styrofoam frame that is in the shape of an angel that he feels with his hands in order to figure out where to start.

"It's just a way to help me visualize the angel," Hanna said. "My sculpting is all done in pieces, and the frame really helps me figure out how to make the pieces fit."

Hanna said that even though Vieczorek and grandmother, Peggy Stevens, are both clay artists, he didn't have a strong interest in sculpting prior to losing his sight.

"I mean I grew up around it, I always knew that it was there," Hanna said. "But I really never got into it until after I lost my sight."

Hanna's work is currently featured at Arts YOUniverse, 156 South Franklin Street, in Wilkes-Barre, with a reception being held Friday, Nov. 16, 5-9 p.m.