A native of Cologne, Germany, Emil Brand, 86, is a lifelong artist. After studying dress design in Germany, he came to the United States in 1937 (at age 20) to escape the Nazis. His mother and brother joined him later on. His father wasn’t as fortunate; he was arrested by the Germans on “Krystal Nacht” (The Night of Broken Glass – Nov. 9, 1938) and died in the German concentration camps.
Brand initially settled in New York City, finding work as a dress designer at a New York manufacturing company. Not comfortable with the New York lifestyle, he moved to New Britain, Connecticut in 1941, where he married and started a family, and later moved to Middletown, Connecticut. He began working as a window designer for department stores, most notably Lane Bryant, and worked there for many years until he retired at age 65.
Since he had “tested the waters as an artist” during his professional life, he felt confident pursuing a career as a full-time freelance artist when he retired.
“I went to art exhibits and observed how they take place,” Brand recalled. “We began entering different art shows nearly every week – as many as 20 to 25 shows a year. Although we traveled primarily during the spring and summer, one of our biggest winter-time shows was the Christmas Art & Craft Show at Hartford’s Civic Center.”
Brand’s booth always had an interesting mix of paintings in a variety of media from watercolor to acrylic, and slate etchings, barn wood carvings, and more.
“We did a lot of commission work. People would see a piece at a show and would commission me to create something special for them,” he said.
A long-time member of the Connecticut Art Society, Brand’s artwork has won many awards throughout the U.S. and has caught the eye of many – including Walter Cronkite, who purchased one of his paintings several years ago.
Twelve years ago, Brand began to notice trembling in his right hand as well as his handwriting growing smaller. A visit to the doctor confirmed the diagnosis: Parkinson’s disease.
“I had thought that the tremor was brought on by stress. The idea that it was Parkinson’s disease was the furthest thing from my mind. I didn’t even understand what the doctor was describing, since I had never met anyone with Parkinson’s,” Brand explained.
As long as he was able to continue doing his artwork, he remained indifferent to the disease. Nevertheless, he found Sinemet provided some relief from his symptoms and only recently has added Ropinerole and Comtan to his daily regimen. “These three medications are helping me to function normally,” he said, adding that “listening to classical music also helps to increase my attention and improve my mood. “We listen to the local classical music station from morning until night. It’s really excellent therapy.”
Though he can no longer handle the physical demands of a show, he paints everyday in a beautiful art studio created especially for him and other resident artists at the First Colonial Inn, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he now lives. His work has become more colorful than ever, with bolder, more vigorous and daring brush strokes.
“When Mr. Brand moved here, one of his conditions was that he needed a place to paint,” said Patricia Swan, First Colonial Inn’s marketing director. “At first, we dedicated a small corner of an all-purpose activity room to him, but as former owner of an American craft gallery, I am comfortable with artists and familiar with their needs.”
Wanting to encourage the development of an art program there, Swan spoke with her boss and they decided to re-design the room to include track lighting and a display board for art displays and shows. “They created a beautiful studio for me,” Brand said gratefully.
Realizing how fortunate he is to be able to paint, Brand connected with a local support group to help other PD patients. Over a year ago, he volunteered to give art lessons to support group members and even purchased art supplies like paints, brushes and watercolor paper for them. His art class meets on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon.
“Emil has inspired a lot of people to start painting, people who never knew they could paint before,” said James Cospito, who co-leads the Virginia Beach Support Group with Bart Rinehart. “He tells people to be natural and not be afraid to use their imaginations and to use paint.”
“People have really surprised themselves. Everyone looks forward to his painting sessions,” added Cospito, an amateur artist who enjoys wood carvings.
As his PD progresses, “the uncertainty of the future is what bothers me the most,” he says, “but the moment I go down to paint, I forget all about it.”
(By Susan G. Lichtman, Creative Director, Parkinson Report)
