Montreal artist Casey Vormer proudly is showing off what could be his greatest work — a sprawling, 10-foot-long multicoloured drawing of the Old Montreal skyline, a piece that took him 900 hours to complete.
The stunning drawing is an intricately-detailed piece that almost passes as a photograph. For Vormer, who lives with autism, it’s a remarkable achievement.
“I was really happy because when working on something like this, you encounter every emotion, every feeling that exists, from happiness and joy to utter frustration,” 47-year-old Vormer said. “But I was happy when I finished it, and this feels like an achievement.”
Vormer is active on social media and has several hundred thousand followers on Tik Tok. He documented his progress as he worked on the Old Montreal drawing, with thousands tracking his work. An art collector who lives in the United Kingdom agreed to purchase the drawing before it was finished. He sold it for more than $60,000.
“I try not to get attached to drawings because I know I will sell them,” he said. “I have to so I try to get not too attached, but when you work on something like this, you get attached to it.”
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Vormer started drawing as a toddler as a form of escapism. He would draw cartoon characters and animals, and took comfort in them.
“I imagined them being my friends so it helped with my loneliness,” the 47-year-old Dutch native said. “I always had a lot of troubles with communication and I found it scary to be around people. I noticed when I was drawing, people would leave me alone and not interact with me and it made me feel really safe.”
Vormer wasn’t diagnosed with autism until he was 21 years old. He says it was a relief, because adolescence was incredibly challenging.
“To grow up like that, it has a huge effect on your self esteem, wondering why you are struggling with everything,” he said from his St. Laurent Boulevard studio.
Vormer moved to Montreal in 2013. He specializes in drawings using pencils, either coloured or black and white. He has successfully been able to support himself solely on his artwork for the last five years. He feels proud of his achievements, knowing what he has overcome.
“In my past, people always told me you will not be able to do anything anyway, just watch TV, so I always have the thirst to challenge myself,” he said.
Vormer admits life isn’t easy; he says he gets overwhelmed often. He finds day to day tasks like grocery shopping sometimes daunting.
“I have a lot of daily struggles, like getting groceries, prioritizing tasks, communicating with customers, things like that. The drawing is going good but everything together can get extremely overwhelming.”
He says resources for autistic adults are scarce. He relies on a close-knit circle of friends for support.
“He has a superpower and then he has the flipside of that superpower which are his struggles,” said friend and supporter Edward Yankie. “A lot of focus in the world of autism is on kids, so autistic adults they often get short shrift in the system.”
Vormer says he has a lot of work coming in. He doesn’t draw people anymore, but loves drawing animals. He says despite his challenges, he’s happy with the artistry he’s producing and the life he is living.
“It’s really important to surround yourself and be in an environment that really accepts you the way you are,” he said.
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