Austin painter renowned in and outside Texas

BRENDA POLSKY MORGAN CHILDS: 1942-2008

Austin painter renowned in, outside Texas

Clients included Richard Nixon, John Wayne, Bob Hope, Barbara Jordan.

By Patrick George
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, November 09, 2008

In 1963, future President Richard Nixon attended a Texas vs. Arkansas football game in Austin. Wanting to give a gift to Nixon, then-U.S. Sen. John Tower of Texas commissioned Austin artist Brenda Polsky Morgan Childs to paint a scene from the game, which he then sent to Nixon.

The painting was flown to Washington first class, but she flew coach, Childs' friends recall.

It was a perfect example of how Childs' talent at painting — which brought her famous clients like John Wayne, Bob Hope and Barbara Jordan — never overshadowed her humility.

Childs, 66, was killed Wednesday afternoon when an 18-wheeler struck the car she was riding in at Texas 71 and RM 620. Her husband, Dr. Allen Childs, was injured in the wreck.

Brenda Childs was a renowned Austin painter, illustrator and interior decorator who enjoyed immense popularity in Texas. A graduate of McCallum High School, she studied art at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida and started exhibiting her artwork regularly in 1963.

She soon became known for her paintings of football players, a subject she turned to partly because there was great demand for football art when she started her career, but also because she was fascinated by the movements of the players during the games.

Her gridiron art also led her to start painting under the name "Polsky Morgan" after her New York agent convinced her that no one wanted to buy football paintings done by a woman.

In addition to football players, Childs painted a portrait of Bob Hope as a clown and a painting of a man holding a child that U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan of Austin hung in her Washington office. She sold her works to John Wayne, Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams and many others.

As an interior decorator, she designed the rooms at the Lakeway Golf Course, as well as a bank lobby in Sonoma, Calif., which was made to look like a winery, said Betsy Nozick , a lifelong friend.

"Her paintings are hung in homes all over Austin," she added. Nozick wrote and Childs illustrated the children's book "Grandma and Me and Her Secret Recipe."

"Her creativity knew no bounds," Nozick said.

Nozick described Childs as an outgoing, warm, loving woman who was eager to help people.

Her friends all had paintings and portraits she did for free, her husband said.

Nozick said the couple just built their dream house in Bee Cave and had been living there for just a few days before the wreck. Childs' death came as a huge blow to her friends and family, Nozick said.

"It's a huge shock," she said. "Everyone can't believe what happened."

Allen Childs said his wife was a "sparkling intellect" who read two to three books a week. They dated as teenagers and were married in 1977, he said.

"I was always taken with what an interesting person she was," Allen Childs said.

A graveside service will be held at noon Tuesday at Beth Israel III at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Cemetery in Pflugerville.