I Hope I Can Paint Again

It may take a while

African Ladies — original art by Shefali O’Hara

A friend of mine asked me if I would paint a version of the above artwork for him today. Unfortunately, I told him that, while I would love to, I can’t.

I was telling him I recently had an art show and he told me he’d always loved the above painting, but it sold before he could buy it.

I would love to create another version for him, but my hands no longer work the way they used to.

I can still write on my laptop. I have to type more slowly and carefully, but I can manage, particularly with a special keyboard. I can cook, though, again, I have to be extra careful and sometimes I’ll ask my mom for help. But my fine motor skills? Even signing my name is a challenge these days. My hands just don’t want to cooperate.

Rural Texas by Shefali O’Hara — painted before I got cancer

The last time I tried to create a new painting, it was an exercise in futility and frustration.

This is because I was diagnosed with brain cancer in April of 2021. For a while, I could not use my right hand at all. Slowly I regained much of the functionality, but there are still things that I find challenging. Art is one of them.