Inspiration Fridays! My left hand.
My Left Hand.
I am right-handed. I have been informed by my left-handed friends that being a south paw is very special…
“If the left half of the brain controls the right side of the body then only left-handed people are in their right mind.” – W. C. FIELDS (obviously a left)
And because they are my friends… I agree…. but I carry on, favoring my right hand along with the other 88% of the population, using my left only to wave while driving.
I’ve logged countless hours training my right hand to glide across the canvas and apply paint with what I would like to think is a close approximation of surgical precision. Well, after 40+ years, I am proud to say, my right hand is usually obedient.
Directing my left (on the other hand) is like herding cats with a new puppy… It wants to do the work but it has none of the finesse. And just like a new puppy, this can be so FUN!!
Seated Figure 2 – 12′ x 12″ – acrylic on panel – Gabriel Mark Lipper
The clumsy inaccuracies and beautiful surprises that emerge when I get my left-hand painting are fascinating! Each stroke is unexpected and adds some extra vitality to the work that I just can’t manage with my ever-so-reliable right hand. It’s a test in letting go, in acceptance, and an easy way to break my routine without over-thinking.
In many ways this is an extension of my last post (Stepping Into the Unknown) I’m following up by sharing a technique I use to help shift my work away from control and invite in the unknown. I have worked hard at achieving some accuracy but the expression is even richer when I can allow myself to just to let go. Painting with my left-hand helps shifts my focus from hard-wired technique toward expression and discovery.
Try using your non-dominant hand on one of your works and you may just find, that just like some of my left-handed friends, it doesn’t get the credit it so richly deserves
Disclaimer: My left hand has not yet done a painting all by itself but it continues to be a great team player.