John Bramblitt

Meet John

City: Denton, TX

Preferred medium: Painting, mural

About me: I was born with epilepsy, and it got worse as I got older. Through my art, I have been fortunate to work with a variety of charities and nonprofits that exist to spread awareness and advocacy for people dealing with different types of neurological challenges. I have seen the effect that people can make by caring and educating themselves about these topics. Together we really can make a difference.

About my art:

Because I am blind, whenever I paint my hands do the work that a person's eyes would normally do. The artwork is created by mixing a variety of mediums into acrylic paint to change the texture and viscosity of the paint - actually making it feel different for the application process. I use the textures to give the paint a tactile quality that I can feel as I work across the canvas. It is a combination of orientation and mobility techniques (white cane training). It's used by those of us who are blind, that allows us to navigate the world around us, combined with art techniques that have been around for centuries to make a way of painting that is new and unique.

Mural by John Bramblitt

What inspires you to create art?

Art is such an incredible and powerful way for us to communicate with one another. It has given me a way to both cope with my disabilities, and to reach out and connect with others. Growing up I had a variety of health problems; most notably epilepsy and kidney problems. I was in and out of hospitals all of my childhood, and learned firsthand the impact that art can have on a child that might be a little scared, unsure or even bored. Art changed the environment and shaped the experience of being in the hospital into something that was much friendlier and welcoming than it could have been.

What do you hope people feel, think, or learn from your art?

Whenever I first lost my eyesight, I thought that made me different from everyone else. Later, through my artwork, I learned that everybody has something in their lives that is bigger than they are. It may not be a disability or a medical challenge, but there is something that is bigger than they are, and they might need a hand dealing with it. Instead of my epilepsy and blindness making me different from everyone else, it made me more like everyone. I hope my artwork connects with people in a way that lets them know that they are not alone; that there are people out there that care and understand what they are going through.

Creating the mural

Video interview with artist John Bramblitt

What does your art mean to you?

I paint every day, usually 8-10 hours or more, 7 days a week (unless I'm traveling for a speaking event or show; then I still paint, just less hours). People sometimes feel that this is a lot, but painting isn't only my way of communicating with others, it also does for me the work that a person's eyes typically do. Painting allows me to reach out and understand the world around me. It helps me to make connections with those around me; for me to understand them, but also as a way of expressing myself and communicating what I think and feel. In a way, my art is both my eyes and mouth. A day without painting would be like most people going a day while wearing a blindfold and not saying a word. Instead, lifting a brush, splashing some color, and joining back into life seems like such a better choice.

In the news Discover more about John