Aaron Shafer, a legally blind artist, defies his diagnosis and creates a beautiful "wood burning" artwork, dubbed "The Healing Fire."

Footage, recorded on January 19, shows Aaron using a blow torch to scorch large panels of wood, before the video zooms-out to reveal an intricate and beautiful mountain scene, depicting Oregon's highest mountain Mount Hood.

Aaron is a 29-year-old artist from Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 2007, when he was 17, Aaron was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease, wiping out his central vision. By 2009, he was diagnosed as legally blind.

Aaron told Newsflare: "At that time, I was really diving into artwork, and the diagnosis really shook me.

"It wasn’t long before my condition took my ability to drive. Slowly, it began to take even more: my ability to read most things, recognise faces from further than a few feet away, look directly at the work I was creating, and ultimately, it took away my ambition to pursue fine art altogether."

"The Healing Fire" is a monumental piece for Aaron, who has not created art since 2012.

“For years, my desire to create art from scratch and by hand disappeared. However, several months ago, I began wood burning. Art created using tools and elements that typically destroy. I loved it immediately. Based on its irony alone, I could relate.

"I found the strength to begin an art project and create this piece.

“For more than a decade now, in a way I've felt like I was bottling fire, and I was ready to release it. What I mean by this is everyone experiences some degree of loss. Unfortunately, loss is a part of life. But I believe it is through these difficult experiences that we are given the opportunities to learn some of the most valuable skills in life: how to create from destructive circumstances."

Now, Aaron is optimistic about the future.

“I'm excited to announce that in spring of 2020 I will be having my first fine art show titled "The Healing Fire."

“I would like to use exhibited pieces to increase awareness, and sell them to help fund solutions. There is a ton of work to do, but I have already done the most difficult part: beginning."

Hello, my name is Aaron Shafer, and this is a story of a visual artist adapting after losing his ability to see details.

I am a legally blind individual from a condition called Stargardt‘s disease. For years I was extremely upset about losing my ability to see details and had given up on art. The piece you contacted me regarding is a very monumental piece in my life because it is the first art project I have begun since 2012. It’s very difficult for me to find a traditional work due to my inability to drive from my condition. I recently found the strength to begin an art project and created this piece with a variety of tools I have never used before, many of which I didn’t know existed until research. My dream is to be an artist, and I find it rather ironic that I ended up finishing the piece on the New Year’s of 2020 ...haha I have to have a sense of humor and how things turn out sometimes.

I am a 29-year-old freelance artist from Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 2007, when I was 17, I was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease. This condition wipes out one’s central vision by killing the cells in the macula, the center of the retina. In 2009, my vision reached the point of 20/200, which is considered legally blind. At that time, I began really diving into artwork, and the diagnoses really shook me. It wasn’t long before my condition took my ability to drive. Slowly, it began to take even more: my ability to read most things, recognize faces from further than a few feet away, look directly at the work I was creating, and ultimately, it took away my ambition to pursue fine art altogether. The blind spot in my vision had become like having a thick piece of distorted glass always blocking what I am looking at. There is no looking around it, wherever I look, the "blind spot" is. Thoughts of my condition worsening had my head stuck in the mountains. In 2012, I discovered a cabin for rent in the Rocky Mountains where I would spend the better part of the next year. My thought process was that I had to see what I thought of as true beauty while I could still see the best. Although I was living in the most breathtaking place I had ever been to, stranded at 8,400 feet high gave me too much time alone, so I returned to Kalamazoo. It was then 2014, and I discovered my favorite low vision device to date, the camera. I became consumed in my DSLR, practicing daily throughout the filming of several action sports films. During the winter of 2016, I even had the incredible opportunity to tour Quebec with a company and shoot for Red Bull. I learned how to make the camera see details for me. For years, my desire to create art from scratch and by hand disappeared, until now.

Several months ago, I began a new wood burning, not having done so since 2012. Pyrography art by nature is a paradox. It is creating using tools and elements that typically destroy, an irony of fire and a blade working together to create. I loved it immediately. Based on its irony alone, I could relate. For more than a decade now, in a way I've felt like I was bottling fire, and I was ready to release it. What I mean by this is everyone experiences some degree of loss. Unfortunately, loss is a part of life. But I believe it is through these difficult experiences that we are given the opportunities to learn some of the most valuable skills in life: how to create from destructive circumstances, draw strength from the things that are trying to steal strength, and how to use "bottled fire" for good. This "spinning straw into gold"concept is only made possible when frustration and negativity is felt welling up inside, but the consistent and deliberate choice to be positive and focus on blessings is made. In the aftermath of each victory, there is something that remains. When collected, it can be used for fuel. In my case, art. I have done my best to be patient with my condition over the years, but until recently, I didn't have the patience to pursue fine art. I'm excited to announce that in spring of 2020 I will be having my first fine art show titled, 'The Healing Fire'. I dream of being involved in humanitarian issues, and I would like to use photography to capture images to reproduce into fine art pieces. I would then use exhibited pieces to increase awareness, and sell them to help fund solutions. There is a ton of work to do, but I have already done the most difficult part: beginning.