Ride For Life: Former deputy with ALS lets artistry flow

Dave Simpson's speech is slow, repetitive and deliberate. His hands barely move from the arms of his wheelchair.

He can walk a few steps with assistance from his wife, Corinne.

For the past seven years, Simpson has been suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

But he doesn't let the disease control his life. The former Genesee County Sheriff's deputy has found a way to tap into his creativity despite his infirmity.

For the past few years, Simpson has been shooting digital photographs and manipulating them on his computer to create impressionist-style images of the natural world. Several are displayed through Feb. 4 at Fandangles' restaurant, 6429 W. Pierson Road, Mt. Morris Township.

"His determination to create this art is so phenomenal," said Tom Price, owner of Fandangles'. "We're honored to be able to showcase him."

Simpson, who was diagnosed with ALS in 1997, had studied art in high school and college and later taken classes at the Flint Institute of Arts, among other places. He used to draw with charcoal and pastels. But, as the disease progressed, he could no longer grip anything.

Lou Gehrig's disease usually attacks both upper and lower motor neurons and causes degeneration throughout the brain and spinal cord.

A common first symptom is a painless weakness in a hand, foot, arm or leg, which occurs in more than half of all cases. Other early symptoms include difficulty with speech, swallowing or walking.

Simpson, a Flint resident, bought a digital camera and tried to take photographs, but admitted he had a lot of difficulty moving his arms up to the camera.

He purchased a metal device that fits on his wheelchair arms and helps him lift his arms so he can reach the shutter of the camera.

His neighbors, Steve and Dennis Jackson, constructed a mount for the camera that connects to the base of the wheelchair and allows the camera to rest in front of him.

Simpson began taking pictures again, but he wasn't satisfied. Experimenting with different photo and paint programs on the computer finally led to a new discovery.

Now he loads the digital photo into his computer and manipulates it (cropping or enhancing) with photo programs.

Using a paint program, he floods the image with 36 million pixels, which blows it up two or three thousand times its original size and painstakingly paints over the photo using the computer mouse as a brush.

Simpson has more than 300 pieces in his collection, including sunsets, sailboats, harbors, classic boats, landscapes, lake scapes, scenes from the Flint City Market in Flint and series on butterflies, lighthouses, flowers and dogs.

He has his work at the Gas Light Gallery in Petoskey, Whistling Moose Gallery in Harbor Springs, Creative Hands Artisan Gallery in Lyman, S.C., and Circle Gallery & Gourmet in Midland.

Last year, he displayed his work at the Flint and Fenton art fairs and at Art and Apples in Rochester.

Simpson admits he's his own worst critic, but having a one-man show at Fandangles' has convinced him "that my work is better than average," he said.

Simpson married Corinne Warren in 1997, after he was diagnosed with ALS. Together, they're an unbeatable team.

At first, Simpson was able to walk with a cane, then a scooter-like device. Now he's in a wheelchair.

When they go to their cottage on Pickerel Lake near Petoskey, Simpson "rolls onto the pontoon," said Corinne.

"We'd rather be whipping around on something fast and sleek," she said. "But you do what you have to do to get on the water."

The couple have two dogs, a basset hound named Reggie and a wire-haired dachshund named Isaac that's a show dog (he's an American and Canadian champion).

Dave and Corinne, maintain a positive attitude. "You can choose to focus on what you've lost or what you still can do," she said.

Added Simpson: "I know that my illness is progressing and one day I will not be here, but I'm not willing to give in to it."