Mollare
More experiments in letting go - left hand right hand play
Want to try a fun bit of creative play?
Give this ‘left hand right hand’ experiment a go.
Just follow the steps below.
Some of my experiments are included below as inspiration.
Step 1: Lay two pieces of paper down in front of you and select 2 coloured pencils.
Step 2: Choose a piece of music that you like. It can be anything that makes you feel good - happy, sad, dreamy, heavy metal, jazz… whatever!
Step 3: Pick up a pencil in your left and right hand and rest the tips of each on one of the pieces of paper.
Step 4: Close your eyes and listen to the music. Breathe. Let it flow over you. The sound of the voice, the words, the emotions, the colours it evokes in your mind. Connect with the feeling!
Step 5: With your eyes still closed, let the pencils move around the papers. Allow the music to guide your hands around the papers - the flow, tempo, movements. There is no right or wrong here!
Step 6: Stop when you feel it’s enough and open your eyes. Let the music continue - even listen to the song on repeat if you like for this next phase. Examine the doodles and squiggles on each piece of paper. Can you see any eyes or a nose or lips or even an ear? Maybe you can see a swish of hair or the curve of a neck or breast? Start defining these features with a paint brush, choosing any colour that feels right to you. I used acrylics for this but you could use oil pastels or watercolours or inks if you like.
Step 7: As the faces begin to take shape, layer in more colours and keep playing with your portraits till they make you happy! Important thing is to have fun. Let yourself be surprised! Honestly, for me, it was an incredibly liberating and relaxing experience.
Some of my ‘left hand right hand’ pieces and other portraiture are available as high quality prints on my Saatchi Art Online space.
A NOTE ON THE LEFT HAND RIGHT HAND SERIES
A few years back, in the winter of 2022-23, while recovering from a stroke, I began experimenting with art as therapy.
Each set of pieces above began as simultaneous left hand and right hand doodles with eyes closed listening to favourite pieces of music. Then, with eyes open again, the search for eyes, noses and mouths began. As colours were introduced, the faces emerged. They delighted me no end!
It was an experiment in letting go - letting go of expectations and entering into creative play without a preconceived notion of what the outcome should be. Surprising, whimsical, and made me laugh! Give it a go!
Below each of my portrait pairs above, I’ve included a Spotify link to the artist and song that inspired each set. Bit of a thing for 1960s female chanteuses!
ciao per ora bellissime sorelle / bye for now beautiful sisters
F ox
If you enjoyed my little musings here, please click on the heart at the bottom or the top of this email. It helps others discover The Bohemian, and also, of course, sparks my joy!
PS Curious about my own humble art making? You can find me on instagram @F_ox and/or visit my website.