Artist
In memory of Jack McAlexander (1940-2017).
Dedicated to Missouri Artists Sabra Eagan, Larry “Cowboy” Twilliger, Wilma Twilliger, and Jennifer Urich.
Losing eyesight is far less significant than losing Vision Beyond Eyesight.
Deborah McAlexander is a Para-Equestrian Dressage athlete, Motivational Speaker, Pianist, and Author. At 24, she was challenged to redirect the focus of her life when she became totally blind in her left eye and the eyesight in her right eye was reduced to a tiny straw of center tunnel vision. The ophthalmologist’s diagnosis, “You have retinitis pigmentosa and will be totally blind in both eyes and deaf by the age of 30,” plummeted her life into a downward tailspin of terror. She felt like she had been bucked off her horse then severely trampled by a heard of wild horses. Two choices were before her: (1) succumb to severe blindness disability and choose to live life in a sinkhole of despair, failure, and pain, or (2) develop the resilience and mental toughness skills to get up, shake off the dirt, get back on her horse, and guide a victorious ride by faith, not by sight.
The artwork in this collection expresses Deborah’s Journey through blindness. Regardless of ability or disability, her mission is to encourage you to believe in yourself, and through sharing her own struggles, persuade you to Dare to Dream, Believe the Impossible is Possible, Work Hard/Work Smart to Win, Never Quit, and Ride by Faith/Not by Sight.
Every challenge and every difficulty you successfully confront will strengthen your ability, confidence, and determination to overcome future obstacles. Adopting the mindset that you will conquer and not be conquered can transform you from a victim to a victorious Life’s Ride Champion. If Deborah can overcome the adversity, obstacles, and failures blinding her Vision Beyond Eyesight, so can you!
Each piece of artwork in this collection and the Source of Inspiration is protected under copyright law. Each piece comes as a 1½ inch wooden frame canvas wrap at the finished size indicated for that particular piece. All pieces can be purchased for $600 (includes tax and free shipping). If you are interested in purchasing, please email your request to: deborah@visionbeyondeyesight.org. Please use the subject line ARTWORK PURCHASE within your e-mail and specify the title of the piece. Please also include your daytime contact information and Deborah will reach out to contact you regarding shipping and payment instructions.
The semi-transparent watermark appearing on the website images below do not appear in purchased copies.
Title: Onward and Upward
Media: Acrylic paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
Symbolizing strength, courage, and freedom, the bald eagle has been the national bird of the United States since 1782. Soaring higher than any other bird, the bald eagle connects humanity to the Divine and encourages those who behold it rising in flight to look ahead to what’s possible.
Title: Fear Not
Media: Acrylic Paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
Blindness has taught me what it means to walk by faith, not by sight. I trust the Lord my God to protect me and to guide me with His bridle as I walk straight forward, Onward, and Upward. I have learned it is possible to go through terrifying storms and not be afraid if every moment of life is alive with God’s Presence.
Title: Trust
Media: Acrylic Paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
During Jack’s death process, my pastor’s wife said, “Deborah, you will never understand why Jack is suffering through this devastating illness. Trust God, keep your eye on Jesus, and He will guide you through this battle.”
Title: Homeward Bound
Media: Acrylic Paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
Jack loved watching all birds, but especially cardinals. I am thankful to have held his hand as he took his last breath and “flew” into Eternal Life.
Title: Solitaire
Media: Acrylic Paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
Before the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute surgeon informed me that I was legally blind and could no longer drive a car, I worked at one of the largest automobile dealerships in Southern California. My job required not only selling vehicles but also taking customers on demo rides. One peaceful summer evening, I drove from my apartment in Costa Mesa, California, to Las Brisas, a Mexican restaurant in Laguna Beach. My mission: walk down the garden pathway to the beach, climb to the top of one of the jagged rock formations, and watch the full moon rise and shine across the ocean’s surface.
I shall never forget the feel of the ocean breeze caressing my skin, the smell of the salt water, and the sound of the surf gently splashing onto the beach and into the rocks far below me. Patiently I waited, alone, but not lonely, because of the magnificent full moon that silently emerged from below the ocean’s horizon casting a spectacular beam of brilliant light directly into my mind’s eye, my heart, and my soul. I shall never forget this majestic display of God’s handiwork.
Title: Run Your Race!
Media: Acrylic Paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
During his show jumping career in Europe, Cornet Noir won both the Sunshine Tour and the Baltic Tour. Fortunately for me, Kai Handt brought Noir to Texas and chose to partner him with me. Noir is a willing, incredibly kind, and trustworthy partner. I call him my handsome Seeing Eye Horse. Together we are learning the precision discipline of para dressage. Someday I may have the privilege of meeting Noir’s Sire, Corlensky G. Against all odds Noir and I are inspired and motivated by this famous show jumping stallion to “run the course of the race that is set before us.”
Title: Be Unstoppable
Media: Acrylic Paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
In July 2021, the Lakepointe Church campus located in Rockwall, Texas, provided a series of motivational worship services titled At The Movies. My painting, Be Unstoppable, was inspired by two of these movies: Wonder and I Can Only Imagine.
Title: Victory
Media: Acrylic paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
This artwork is my response to NAYSAYERS who have been bombarding me with these discouraging opinions:
AT YOUR AGE, you should NOT chase your Para Dressage Dreams; you are alone and no one will provide financial resources to help you.
You should discontinue riding lessons at NTEC and training for competitions; move Cornet Noir to a smaller barn somewhere else in Texas where you can just ride around for fun.
You have not achieved your Para Dressage goals; sell Cornet Noir; move back to Jefferson City, Missouri, where you have friends; give away Champion Harlem’s Proud Mary, your 24-year old, one-eyed, American Saddlebred horse or rent an apartment in Jefferson City and resume teaching piano lessons to make a living.
Abandoning my dreams and goals would not only proclaim to our world that my faith is a sham, but would also destroy my spirit. Against all odds, Cornet Noir and I ride through the flames, Onward and Upward. I believe that Victory is possible when one rides by Faith, not by Sight.
Title: The Battle for God’s Glory
Media: Acrylic paint, 24” x 36”
Source of Inspiration
This painting was inspired by Scripture found in the book of Exodus. Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt, have you ever wondered how terrified they must have felt as they were about to be overtaken and slaughtered by the Pharaoh and his might army? Trusting Sovereign Lord God Almighty, Moses commanded the Hebrews to “Fear Not, Stand Firm, and see the salvation of the Lord.” Ever wonder what it must have felt like to walk through the open riverbed, surrounded on each side by a powerful, churning wall of turbulent water? Ever wonder what it must have felt like for Pharaoh and his wicked warriors to find themselves crushed and drowning as the sea crashed down upon them?
When confronting overwhelming adversity, there are times for decisive action. When you have done all you can and the situation seems hopeless, it’s time to Fear Not, Stand Firm, and Trust God to work it out according to His will and purpose for your life. Are you facing a river you think is uncrossable? Sovereign Lord God Almighty specializes in things thought impossible!
Title: Joy and Peace
Media: Acrylic paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
March 12, 2022, marks my 3rd year anniversary of Para Dressage training at North Texas Equestrian Center, Wylie, Texas. Through this Journey, I have learned that it is possible to live above adverse circumstances even while I am in the midst of them.
Title: Faith
Media: Acrylic paint, 11” x 14”
Source of Inspiration
In 2014, a scratch in Champion Harlem’s Proud Mary’s right eye manifested into a corneal fungal infection. Doctors at the University of Missouri Veterinary Hospital performed two surgeries, but the aggressive growth of the infection could not be stopped and a final surgery was necessary to remove Proud Mary’s right eye globe.
There are no words to accurately describe the irony of this tragic situation. Fate had forcefully bucked me off my horse, but this time, for safety reasons, it was not possible for me to get back on Proud Mary and keep on riding.
Proud Mary adjusted to a happy, protected life of retirement at my pastor’s farm in Jefferson City, Missouri. I am thankful for the medical care which saved her life and the strong guidance by my riding instructor, the owners of my local stable, and my psychologist during my grief process. I am thankful for my forever partnership with the beautiful Champion Harlem’s Proud Mary. What a team we make, the one-eyed horse and the legally blind gal!
How does this story apply to your life? Faith is being sure of what is hoped for and certain of what is not seen. Without faith, my childhood trials, my terrifying journey through blindness, Jack’s devastating battle with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Bodies Dementia, and Proud Mary’s heart wrenching tragedy would have destroyed me. If you choose to Ride By Faith, Not By Sight, you will be empowered to transcend and transform tribulation into triumph.
Title: Be the Light of the World!
Media: Acrylic paint, 11” x 14”
Source of Inspiration
Blindness has taught me that life’s misfortunes can be overwhelming obstacles or empowering energizers. It’s not about what happens to you but how you choose to handle the situations. My mission is to take my tiny straw of sight and use it to open others’ eyes to what is possible when one chooses to Dare To Dream; Believe The Impossible Is Possible; Work Hard/Work Smart To Win; Ride By Faith, Not By Sight; Never Quit.
Every challenge and every difficulty you successfully confront in life will strengthen your ability, confidence, and determination to overcome future obstacles. Adopting the mindset that you will conquer and not be conquered can ultimately change you from a victim to a victorious Life’s Ride Champion. If I can do this, so can you!
Title: Sailing Alone
Media: Acrylic Paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
At the age of twenty-four, I was challenged to redirect the focus of my life when I unexpectedly became blind in my left eye, and the eyesight in my right eye was reduced to a tiny straw of center tunnel vision. At that time, I was a scholarship performance violinist at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. The ophthalmologist’s diagnosis, “You have retinitis pigmentosa and will be totally blind and deaf by the age of thirty,” plummeted my life into a downward tailspin of terror.
Every morning I woke up wondering if I would see or hear anything at all. My dream of becoming a St. Louis Symphony violinist was shattered, and my positive, energetic spirit was broken. I felt like I had been bucked off a horse, then severely trampled by a herd of wild horses. For several years I wandered through life without direction, and yes, I did a splendid job of sitting on the “pity pot.”
Sailing Alone expresses this confusing and scary time in my life. I did not belong in the totally blind-black world. I did not belong in the sighted world.
Title: The Invisible Surprise!
Media: Photo, 16” x 20”
Source of Inspiration
While on a trail ride in Missouri with a group of friends, we came upon this stunning rock formation sinking into a spring fed river. Grabbing my iPhone, I snapped this photo while my horse stood patiently in the cool water. Rocks and water, what a beautiful image this will be! Boy, was I in for an Invisible Surprise! When I looked at my photo, I discovered that the camera lens had captured the sunbeams and rainbow which were invisible to the human eye when I took the picture.
I chose this Scripture because it provided the inspiration I needed to struggle through each day during the final months of Jack’s horrific disease and death process. At that time, I had an 11” x 17” paper with this verse printed in as large of font as possible taped on a wall in every room of our home.
Title: Lilies of the Field
Media: Acrylic Paint, 18” x 24”
Source of Inspiration
This painting was inspired by a story Mama told me. After Daddy and she were married, Mama taught children in a tiny one-room school house in Southwest Missouri. One day as she was walking through a rugged field to the school, she spied a few big bumble bees darting around a stand of Tiger Lilies. Grabbing her white cotton handkerchief, she managed to capture one of the bees. “Ouch,” she cried as the bee stung her through the thin cloth! Refusing to allow the bee to escape, she gritted her teeth and took off running to the school. Once there, all of the children gathered around her as she retold her story then opened the handkerchief and set the angry bee free!
Title: Missouri Spring
Media: Acrylic Paint, 16” x 20”
Source of Inspiration
This painting was a gift to my Daddy who taught me to appreciate and respect the beauty of nature.
Title: On Wings of Prayer
Media: Acrylic paint, 11” x 14”
Source of Inspiration
Before he stepped into Eternity, my husband challenged me to write a song from my life experiences. The result was this piece which expresses not only my Journey through blindness, but also my philosophy for overcoming adversity, obstacles, and failures.
The lyrics are printed in this artwork creation along with the first line of music notation. The Finale Software Notation Program was utilized to complete this song. Composed in D-flat Major, the beautiful melody soars above the bass line which is written in the style of a Chopin Nocturne.
