Left-Handed Year (2020-2021)

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From April 2020 to April 2021, I drew exclusively with my non-dominant left hand. The subject matter was portraits and drawings of sculpture. Animate people and inanimate sculptures. I was curious about the life/art contrast and how this might be reflected in the drawings.

 

My intention was to force myself to step away from what was comfortable, what was practiced, to surprise myself, and make work a bit more raw and immediate. I looked to untrained artists. But of course, I'm not an untrained artist. And so, what began as awkward, I quickly worked at improving and refining. You know the saying: "No matter where you go, there you are." I was often telling myself to relax and allow the work to look unfamiliar. I'm not sure how often I succeeded, but that was the intent.

 

I completed 180 drawings. The selection here is presented in chronological order. At the start of the project my niece, Jessica, suggested that the last drawing be the same subject as the first. Great idea. I did just that.