Having lost his sight in one eye, Michael McBrien is without a job or a home. But, he has chosen to use his disability to his advantage.

“I spent my whole life cutting trees off of power lines. I ended up with a blind eye so I had to come up with something pretty quick,” said McBrien.

Originally from Norfolk, McBrien moved to Mattapoisett in 2004. After his disability left him jobless and sleeping at a shelter in New Bedford, he turned to drawing.

“I don’t see three dimensions, but that helps me in my art,” he said. “I just draw the lines as I see them.”

Although he may not have called himself an artist before, McBrien has long enjoyed photography.

“I worked all over the Cape and the country cutting down trees after hurricanes and stuff,” he said. “I was in a good position to take photographs.”

McBrien has been collecting vintage cameras for years, and often uses a compact 35mm Kodak that he purchased for $3.

As he began experimenting with pencil and ink drawings, McBrien incorporated his photography by drawing from negatives as well as from real life.

“I like drawing street scenes and the buildings and that kind of stuff. That’s what people like around here, so I draw what people like,” he said.

Many of McBrien’s drawings have a lot of detail, but he said if you look closely, none of the lines are as exact as they appear.

“It’s mostly optical illusions. It comes out looking like I drew every leaf,” he said.

Using the computers at Mattapoisett Library, McBrien scanned his drawings and pastels and began to manipulate them using free photography software online.

“There are a lot of little effects that aren’t great for photography, but they’re great to use for pictures,” he said.

McBrien’s artwork has caught the eye of Library Director Susan Pizzolato.

“I’ve known Michael for years as a library patron,” said Pizzolato. “From a librarian’s point of view, it was great to see him use public equipment to do things that were so visually appealing.”

Pizzolato said she and the other staff members have encouraged McBrien to do a show at the library so other people could see his work.

A collection of McBrien’s photographs, drawings and paintings is currently on display at the library through the end of September.

In addition to the library exhibit, McBrien said he has received encouragement from friends and from the New Bedford Art Museum, which sold one of his street scenes.

“I’d like to get things going for myself,” said McBrien. “I’m really appreciative of what everyone has done for me.”

McBrien’s work can also be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/mcbrienmichael.