Monday, June 1, 2009

Masterstroke: Man who couldn't even draw stickmen wakes from life-saving brain surgery... as an artist | Mail Online

Stoke of genius: Alan Brown was unable to draw even stick-men before his strokeFor most, stroke and brain surgery can be devastating but for Alan Brown it sparked a previously unseen talent... as an artist.

When Alan, 49, emerged from a gruelling 16-hour operation following his stroke, he found he had become a reborn 'Michelangelo' and was able to paint and draw with incredible detail.

Alan, from Malvern, Worcestershire, believes the surgery must have 'flicked a switch' in the creative part of his brain.

Until the stroke, Alan was unable to draw or paint, and the best he could manage was a simple 2D stickman.

The father-of-three spent two months recovering in intensive care before he was well enough to write and 'doodle' to pass the time and this is when he discovered his bizarre new talent.

Alan, who is divorced, said: 'I was out of the danger zone but still in intensive care and a nurse came up to me and said I looked bored and suggested I start drawing.

'She gave me a pencil and some paper and photograph of her dog which I copied almost perfectly.

alan brown paintings



'She looked at it and asked me if I was an artist. I said no and she said I should look into doing a course. Since then I've never looked back.'

Alan, who used to run a double-glazing firm, collapsed at his home six years ago after suffering a bout of migraines.

He was rushed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for a scan where doctors discovered a burst blood vessel, or aneurysm, in his brain.

He was transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for surgery.

via Masterstroke: Man who couldn't even draw stickmen wakes from life-saving brain surgery... as an artist | Mail Online.

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