Why I paint with my hands
Editor’s note
Every artist develops a way of working, their own visual language and style that is uniquely theirs. Why I Paint with My Hands explores how touch has become part of my creative process, creating movement, softness and the organic quality that has become central to my work.
Do I really paint with my hands?
People often ask whether I really paint with my hands and the answer is yes, although perhaps not in the way imagined.
Every painting uses brushes, palette knives, glazing, layering, and blending. My hands have become another tool within that process, allowing me to authentically connect with the canvas in the most organic way.
Painting with my hands has become part of my artistic language because it helps me create the organic movement and softness I seek in the finish. It is a transfer of energy, emotion and feeling of the time – which is why I tend to create as sensory experience when I paint with calm music, candles and the right light in the studio.
The joy of understanding the craft
One of my favourite things to do when visiting a gallery is to step closer to a painting. From across the room, I appreciate the composition. Up close, I love to observe the brushstrokes, the layers of pigment, the softened edges, the perfect imperfections and the subtle textures that reveal how the painting came to life.
Artworks that unveil so much more when you take a closer look are genuinely appealing for me. You can step into the artists world for a moment and appreciate the decisions they made to bring the piece to life. Finding something new each time you observe is part of the joy of an original artwork.
When you look closely at some of my works, you can see the smudges, fingerprints and blends of colour that have been formed from my hands. Where they have been laid flat, where fingers have drawn through the paint or semi dry colour has been blended to create the finish in the work.
You can see the decisions and feel the sense of lyrical movement that exists within a piece whether it be subtle or overt.
A connection with the canvas
When painting large abstract artworks, painting is such a physical experience. I often start by moving my hands over the work without paint on them to feel where the composition will physically lay - before diving in. Whether a sweeping gestural movement that creates energy or a subtle soft highlight, the movement translates from my hands to the canvas directly.
Working with my hands allows me to feel the surface developing beneath each layer of paint. I can soften a transition, blend pigment or move paint across the canvas with a level of natural connection which I enjoy.
The beauty of movement
The way paint behaves is fascinating, the more you cease to control it. Water softens pigment, colours blend gently into one another, different stages of drying produce different finishes, layers, glazes and colours build depth over time.
My hands allow me to work with those qualities and evolve them in new ways. It is almost impossible to create identical marks, so each gesture becomes slightly different, bringing movement and individuality to every painting.
The result is that no two surfaces are ever the same, and I think that is one of the great joys of original art.
An artist’s perspective
Brushes establish structure and backgrounds, palette knives introduce direction, layering and glazing builds depth. My hands allow me to soften, blend, and create the movement that has become such a recognisable part of my work.
Every technique has its place. Together they create paintings that reflect my love of organic surfaces, natural movement, and the beauty found in original art.
Abstracted is a creative journal by Lee J Morgan exploring art, interiors, and the spaces between, offering an artist’s view on the evolving language of design.