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MAN: When people come to me,
they're experiencing a trauma that has not been addressed.
They're missing something.
And I have an opportunity to help them
to get that something back.
I think of myself sometimes as a portrait painter,
only instead of painting someone's portrait,
I'm painting their eye.
And then when they insert it, it becomes a part of them.
I've seen people's entire lives changed
by this little piece of plastic.
My name is Fred Harwin, and I'm an ocularist.
I start with an iris --
sometimes we call it iris button.
Let me measure the diameter.
I'll compare it with the seeing eye
to get a good base color
so I can then go ahead and work up in layers
so I can get a realistic iris effect.
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Next, I shape the wax model.
Wax is pretty easy to work with.
And I can add to it and remove quite easily.
Turn please. Okay.
Look down.
And then I see how that fits.
But this is a hard wax,
so it really simulates what the finished prosthesis
is going to feel like and look like.
Once I'm satisfied with the wax model,
then I make that model into acrylic.
You put it in this mold that you made from the wax,
and then you put it in to cure.
After it's cured and it's cooled down,
I separate the mold.
And then I will grind that down and carve it down,
get ready for painting.
[ sander whirring ]
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My first job out of college was at University of Michigan,
Wayne County General Hospital.
And I was the medical illustrator there.
What I love about medical illustration
is the opportunity to tell a story,
to teach in a sequence.
One of the things I'm particularly proud of
as a medical illustrator is having the opportunity
to work in developing a two-volume atlas
on cardiac surgery.
So I attended every surgery that was in the book,
some of them several times.
And I was interested in beginning
an official prosthetic clinic
at the Oregon Health Sciences University.
And then it happened to get down to eyes.
Found out I really, really enjoy the process of making them.
I spend approximately eight hours with a person
over four appointments.
And I think that that is also part of the healing process.
And they see me working and caring about them,
because I do the work in front of them.
The fact that I'm in no rush.
I want to make this the best that I can.
The challenge is how close, how real
can I make this eye look?
I could look at this as a business.
I look at this as an artist.
I look at this as a studio.
I look at this as I'm creating a piece of art.
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Some of the blood vessels are so fine,
it's difficult to paint them, so I use a fine cotton thread.
And I lay these down on them and move them around,
and I'm trying to get a pattern that's similar to the other eye.
I always tell people not to party
the night before I'm going to paint.
So I'm going to put a little something to mark the top.
Okay.
I always put a little painting on the top of each prosthesis,
and it's something that's personal for that person.
Recently, I decided I'd like to try painting.
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Oil paints are limitless.
It's an amazing medium.
And I don't plan anything.
I just start going.
I love trees.
So I'm doing a combination of blood vessels and trees.
And I'm really enjoying this.
This is freedom to express myself.
When I'm finished painting
and I'm satisfied with the way everything looks,
then clear acrylic is put over the top of that...
grind, pumice, and polish the prosthesis...
and then the prosthesis is ready to insert
and to put in place.
Look down, please.
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What keeps me going is it's never perfect.
So I'm always trying to make it better.
It's a combination of art and science.
Close your eyes tightly. Squeeze down. Open.
In our society, we think of them as opposing.
Open real wide, please.
I don't see it that way at all.
It's all part of the same.
Yep, 11 3/4.
Wow.
That's awesome.
That looks totally different.
I have the opportunity to work with an artist
who's getting to paint something
I'm going to carry around with me and show off to people,
every person I meet, right,
because every person I meet sees my eyes,
and basically what they're seeing is Fred's art.
HARWIN: I feel if we have the opportunity,
we can help others.
And so my little way, I feel I'm doing my part,
and I feel good about that time that I have.