Sedgebrook resident rediscovers love of drawing
Sedgebrook resident artist Al Brandwein learned how to draw at an early age from his father, using his shirt cardboards. At about the age of 11, he used butcher paper and drew the entire Thanksgiving procession, and used two walls of the schoolroom to display it.
However, it was not until more than 65 years later, that Al rediscovered an ability to draw portraits with charcoal and pastels.
Living at Sedgebrook with his wife, Nancy, Al is enjoying his newfound celebrity status as an artist, and has displayed his works in the Sedgebrook showcase.
Al is basically self-taught. Among his portraits are Teddy Roosevelt, Golda Meir, Charlie Chaplin and his favorite, Mahatma Gandhi. All in all, he has drawn more than 25 pictures. He gets his subject matter from photographs and various publications such as National Geographic.
Al entered the Navy at 18 at a height of 5-foot, 8-inches. When he completed his time in the service, he was 6-foot, 2-inches tall. Al attributes his growth spurt to Navy food. When he returned home, he recalled, not even his handkerchiefs fit.
During his service, Al served two and a half years aboard a Naval destroyer during World War II and was privileged to have witnessed the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima. He was in five combat theaters during those years.
Al's professional career began as a traveling salesman, covering seven states, selling home furnishings to upper-end furniture stores. He spent weeks on the road until he met his future wife, Nancy.
Things changed drastically because, from then on, he would drive hundreds of extra miles on weekends just to see her. They have now been married 63 years and have two sons, five grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Prior to moving to Sedgebrook two years ago, Al and Nancy lived at Del Web Huntley.
"This has proven to be a very good move," he said.
Sedgebrook is a continuing care retirement community offering a diverse lifestyle, maintenance-free living and outstanding amenities. Five-star rated Radford Green Health Care and Rehabilitation is on the 92-acre Sedgebrook campus in Lincolnshire.
Sedgebrook is owned by Senior Care Development LLC and managed by Life Care Services LLC. For details, visit www.WelcomeToSedgebrook.com or call (847) 901-3319.
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