About Brookes Dewey

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My interest in art began in grammar school. I entered many types of creative shows - flower arranging, woven works, paintings. I took a private class with a local artist and he helped my understanding of perspective and helped me paint places I saw in my dreams but had never been to. In high school I also took a class in ceramics.
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My art education continued at University of California at Davis where I took classes from Manuel Neri and Robert Arneson.

 

After graduation, I worked part time as a graphic artist but my real passion developed when I decided to challenge my capabilities with projects that were difficult for me. I began by sketching a detailed image of a rhinoceros and was thrilled with the results. I received a commission to paint a camel and as I needed to choose a apartment-friendly medium, I chose watercolor. At this point, using books as instructors, I taught myself to use this medium whereas I had previously worked in oil and acrylic.

 

A few years later, I took classes at a local junior college to develop my photorealistic style. With much help from Dennis Collins, I refined my skill and began painting various subjects - buildings, landscape, cacti, flowers and still life.

 

One day I saw some glasses drying in the sun in my kitchen and saw all kinds of shapes and patterns reflected in the light. My new challenge was born - painting reflective glass surfaces. I painted a series of glass reflective surfaces and one day looked at a piece of silver. Seeing it as a piece in a still life as well as an object of shape and pattern, I turned my attention to painting reflective silver surfaces.

 

My work now spans subjects such as images from European travels, flowers and cacti from my garden, still life setups and images for yearly Christmas cards. I have branched out over the years to include stain glass, silk screen, crossstitch and pastel, however, my first love is watercolor.