Believe it or not, this magnificent painting was done by a totally blind artist! John Bramblitt lost his sight in 2001 due to complications caused by epilepsy. He can perceive some light, but that’s all. He cannot see any colors or shapes. Yet he discovered a revolutionary way to paint without sight. In fact, according to him, his blindness was what catalyzed his career as a professional artist. He uses textured paints to “feel” rather than “see” his art. Bramblitt says,
“Basically what I do is replace everything that the eyes would do for a sighted artist with the sense of touch.”
But how does he know what color paint bottle he is picking up? Good question. The answer is actually a simple one. Bramblitt puts braille labels on all his materials, and mixes colors based on written recipes that he can read with his fingers; “Just like baking a cake,” he says. Bramblitt declares that he is not ashamed of his blindness, rather it inspired him to discover a whole new world of art in both himself and the world around him!
Three cheers for John Bramblitt’s determination to adapt and find creative new ways to achieve his dreams in spite of physical limitations! Here are some more of his whimsically incredible works of art.
Want to learn more?
Blind Artist Relies on Touch and Texture to Create Stunningly VIvid Paintings