At the beginning of November, I had surgery on my right arm to correct a couple of issues. I was eager to get it over and done with after a bit of a wait, but I was extremely worried that I would have little to no use of my right hand in the recovery period, which was projected to be six weeks to four months long. This would mean no writing, no guitar playing comfortably (certainly no finger picking), no typing and no art, especially not sketching or drawing. Quite aside from attending to myself with my non-dominant left hand! The first week saw my hand being very swollen with limited movement, and my frustration levels were high. By the beginning of week two, I was getting antsy and had a little more movement back, albeit restricted by the splint and bulky bandages, so I did a little experiment in my sketchbook. The page below shows left and right-handed drawings on days eight and eleven. They took much concentration — picture me with my tongue out and going very slowly. I had very little control over the pen and paintbrush! But at least I was creating something!
(as always, click the image to see a larger version)
My next experiment was to fill an entire page with watercolour blocks using only my left hand. So many wobbly bits!
By day 21 post-surgery, I was ready to try sketching my African violets. I was pleased with my progress but frustrated with the jittery lines and the fact that I was getting worn out within minutes. The spread below took me all-day. I felt like a preschooler as I corralled my concentration and attempted to get something presentable down on the pages.
My next attempt involved ditching any pretence of doing precise linework, and I went with a loose watercolour landscape using one of mum and dad’s holiday snaps. Much more satisfying result on this one!
Now, at the five-week mark, I am getting closer to being able to draw a steady line, and my handwriting is far less tentative. I was still getting very worn out with the effort of concentrating on doing so, though.
All in all, my recovery is progressing well, and being able to create something did wonders for my head. My dexterity and fine motor skills are returning little by little, even if my strength is somewhat slower. I am still not quick by any stretch of the imagination, but that will come with practice and putting myself in situations where I can do that…once I get my driving privileges back again! Urban Sketchers here I come…early in the new year!
Tell me what you think!