The Chinquapin Tree by Naomi Brotherton
This was a commissioned piece so is in its permanent home.
RESIDENT ARTIST
GIDDENS GALLERY OF FINE ART IN GRAPEVINE
Dallas-based artist Naomi Brotherton celebrated her 98th birthday this past April with a painterly coup, having completed a huge commissioned work—and a first acrylic painting on canvas for the artist. For 60 years, Brotherton has exemplified the quintessential artist and teacher. Even today, she continues to teach one class per month and never ceases to be excited about making art. Her passion and drive to paint enable her to continue, despite an advanced case of macular degeneration. Brotherton’s acrylic painting of the chinquapin tree (shown above) and the resulting excitement generated by its success has made the artist want to continue exploring new avenues of expression. Although the 200-year-old tree in the painting was lost in a storm, its magnificence is now preserved immortally through the artist’s work. With so much exploration and curiosity in her spirit, Brotherton handles failing eyesight in good humor. Her message about the disease is one of hope. Her number one tip? “Don’t give up.” She explains that her peripheral vision is best, so she looks peripherally at her subject to memorize it before she starts to paint.
View Naomi's gallery of work
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This article first appeared in Watercolor artist | OCTOBER 2018