Hi Patty,

I was going to suggest you hold the brush in your mouth but then I realized there was no way you could keep from talking! ;-)

I wish you a speedy and full recovery. I'm glad you decided to take the bull by the horns and put this issue to bed.

Hey Marvin,
Ah, you know me too well. In fact just before entering my studio today, I cried out , "Hellooooo my Studio!" I rattle on even when I am alone...

thanks for all of your support. I still have what feels like a long road ahead with physical therapy before I can hold anything, but better now than later!

As a visual artist, I always thought losing one's sight would be the greatest tragedy, but losing use of the dominant hand (even temporarily) we use to create is right up there, so I really feel for you.

Sometimes a break can be good, with opportunity to think, read and incubate ideas, so I am sure you will take full advantage of what you can do and come back even stronger!

Thank you Laurel. I am off today to a museum, my weekly routine, to visit as many museums within a 100 mile radius, as I can.

Hats off to you, Patricia. I love your determination. My little girl has been through a lot of medical challenges for the past 6 1/2 months and I thought SHE was making it hard to paint. Now I feel like a slacker compared to you :) Bravo!

Hi Patti,

I wish you, likewise, a happy and fast recovery! You still have a sunny attitude, and sound like your delightful self.

I took a class several weeks ago with Sherrie McGraw, whose right arm has been in a cast for a couple of months - and she did knock-out paintings with her left hand, too. Oh, sigh.

If you practice with your left, then when you're done with PT, you can get two canvases going at the same time. Now THIS is a sight we'd ike to see.

Painting with two hands simultaneously, what a marketing tool that would be!
 

Thank, Natalie and Chris! Poor Sherri McGraw. Months....UGH!!!!!!! One would be forced to work with the left hand, believe me it is a very slow process from opening paint and squeeing out the paint, to mixing, to finagling the paintbrush in your left hand...all that before you even touch the canvas, ugh!

Thanks for your support. I greatly appreciate it.

Patty--

You GO! I'll remember this if I ever get laid up. No excuses, right?

-T

That's right, Tom, no excuses. Out of sympathy I finally got my husband to sit for me and this is the sketch I did using a pencil in my right first two fingers and my left hand. What a challenge. It feels exactly like being in grade school except I KNOW what I want to do, but just can't get there. But I figure it is still good exercise in seeing, don't want to lose that acuity. I've gotta laugh at this attempt, however, I did still get his likeness, just a bit ...off!!!

Try it sometime. You will never ever take your hand for granted again.

You know, most people on GOOD days can't do that.

Like I said, you are encouraging me. I am positive some early carpal tunnel stuff is kicking in, as my index finger likes to stop feeling every so often. NOW would be a better time to practice wrong hand drawing, before I MUST! Give the overworked hand a rest and see if it helps.

You are inspiring.
dj*