Careers in the Arts Toolkit Artist Profile: John Bramblitt

 

John Bramblitt is a white man in his forties. He has short, dark brown hair; he is wearing black rectangular sunglasses and has an anchor-style beard and mustache. John is wearing a white button-up, collared shirt with a dark blue vest paired with a bright red-orange tie. He is holding a paintbrush in his left hand while being seated. In the background is a single large painting out of focus placed in front a black wall.
Photo byJacqi Serie

Visual Artist, Author, Speaker, Gallery/Bar Owner

Denton, TX

John Bramblitt is an artist living in Denton Texas; his art has been sold in more than 120 countries, and he has appeared internationally in print, TV, and radio. He's the subject of the award-winning documentary shorts Line of Sight and Bramblitt. His work has received much recognition, including the Most Inspirational Video from YouTube and three Presidential Service Awards for his innovative art workshops.

Bramblitt is blind. He is the first blind person to create a street art mural and recently partnered with Delta Airlines to paint a Boeing 737 that is currently flying over the Caribbean. Prior to his blindness, Bramblitt studied at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, where he graduated with honors.

When Bramblitt lost the last of his vision in 2001 due to complications with epilepsy and Lyme's disease, his hopes of becoming a creative writing teacher were shattered, and he sunk into a deep depression. He felt disconnected from family and friends, alienated and alone. But then something amazing happened—he discovered painting. He learned to distinguish between different colored paints by feeling their textures with his fingers. He taught himself how to paint using raised lines to help him find his way around the canvas and through something called "haptic visualization," which enables him to "see" his subjects through touch. He now paints amazingly lifelike portraits of people he's never seen—including his wife and son. While art was always a major part of Bramblitt’s life, it was not until he lost his sight in 2001 that he began to paint.It was then that, he said, “Art reshaped my life.”

Bramblitt’s paintings are intensely personal and mostly depict real people and events in his life. His workshops are unique in the art world in that they not only span the gap between beginning and professional artists but also include adaptive techniques for people with disabilities. According to Bramblitt, “Everyone has an artist somewhere in them; sometimes they just need a little help letting it out.”