A few weeks ago, I strained some ligaments in my
right arm doing a home project! It was
painful and caused issues using my arm for certain movements….thankfully, it
didn’t keep me from painting….but, it gave me pause… and I thought, “What if I
couldn’t use my right hand to paint?”
“Could I do a painting with my left hand?”
I have never
tried doing anything that required any type of finesse with my left hand….so, I
decided to do a little head study, using only my left hand. I did a little master copy after the great
John Singer Sargent. It was a little awkward,
but I was surprised that it was not as disappointing as I thought it might be.
What this
tells me is that observation skills are really more important than being facile
with a brush. I think with some
practice, I could paint images with my left hand that would be hard to
distinguish from the right handed paintings.
The image below is 6x8, oil on linen panel. I may never do another one….but it is
comforting to know that if push comes to shove, and I had to….I could do a left
hand painting! The most difficult thing
was signing the painting!
Thanks for listening to my ramblings!
Hodges Soileau OPA
Left Handed 6x8 oil on linen study after Sargent
Yes, this was quite nice! Although I do hope you will never need this skill out of necessity, certainly.
ReplyDeleteThank you Judy....yes, I hope I never have to do another one....ever!
ReplyDelete