What is Left is Right

Growing up I had uncontrollable bouts of rage. My brother referred to it as "Hulking". It was terrible. I would vent my frustration by punching things in an idiotic fashion. Once, while in art class a friend flicked water on me while I was working on a drawing for my portfolio to submit to a prospective college. Water droplets fell on my drawing and I began "hulking" but instead of getting into a fist fight over the goof I punched a steel door. Basic physics taught me that the density of the door was more than that of my fist, my flesh and bone couldn't penetrate metal and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (thank you Newton) which resulted in me having extreme pain in my hand. Hoping that it was a broken or stoved finger I began pulling on my pinky finger trying to set it. This resulted in a burning, throbbing sharp pain in my hand. I told my art teacher, "I need to go to the doctor, I just broke my hand." Looking at my swollen and pulsating hand my teacher obliged and sent me to the principal's office. Needless to say I had a broken hand or what is commonly referred to as a boxer's fracture. I broke the fifth metacarpal and had to have my hand put in a cast. I never said I was smart, especially at that age.
At this time I had three periods of art class in a row where I mostly socialized and did an occasional drawing here or there to keep my grades up. It was then that I drew a picture of my right hand in a cast with my left hand. Twelve years ago I learned how much I enjoy occasionally drawing with my left hand. I also learned not to punch things when I'm angry and to vent my frustrations in a more productive way, like line-dancing.

The drawings tend to be a bit crude and rough with a stronger line. It is a fun exercise but not something I can do for long periods of time. Naturally I want to use my right hand to fix something or to accent the drawing and it is at that time I have to quit the exercise.

Sometimes I pick up a pencil and let my left hand do some scribbling, which feels weird because it doesn't seem as though I'm controlling my hand.







Here is my left hand's version of the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland.














Tuesday my left hand started drawing and what turned out was a drawing of the Mad Hatter.


















I've done some right handed drawings of Lewis Carol's characters and painted them using water colors. The only thing I like about this one of the Hatter is his pupil.





















Another was done of the Hare. I like his look of panic.

Tim Burton is attached to direct a remake of Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp as the Hatter. I'm sure it will be great, but is anyone else getting tired of these two working together? Do people do this out of laziness? Burton isn't the only one guilty of this crime and Depp is a great facial expression character actor but for real? Again? I'm not jealous or anything.

I don't know how I got to this point but the doodle I did with my left hand of the Hatter made me think of this. I hope everyone is doing good and staying warm.