Maggi Hambling’s Unique Morning Routine

Maggi Hambling has developed an interesting morning routine following the ablation of her right hand’s pinky finger. It involves a specific practice that she finds particularly useful right after she wakes up.

During her talk at the Charleston Festival in East Sussex, she recounted an incident from November 17th. She was descending the stairs with a glass in hand, which ended up cutting her hand and her pinky finger. “I was raising my hand,” she noted, showing the audience her four-fingered hand.

After the injury, she mentioned, “I thought Ipswich Hospital was full, given all the drunkenness you see on a Saturday night.” Despite her initial hesitation, she decided to wait until the following morning to seek medical help. Post-surgery, both she and the doctor opted to monitor her hand’s condition. However, it soon took a turn for the worse. “It just started to turn black and smell bad,” she explained, leading to the conclusion that amputation was necessary.

Hambling is deeply committed to her art. She mentioned working daily, usually around five hours in the summer and six in the winter. As soon as she returned from the hospital, she went back to her studio and began drawing her right hand, which was still heavily bandaged. “It felt good to create,” she said.

Her therapist remarked that injuries to the hands can be particularly challenging for artists and musicians, highlighting the essential role hands play in their work. Hambling, somewhat surprised, admitted it was new information to her.

Reflecting on her experience, she shared a humorous moment. When her plumber visited her Suffolk studio, he noticed her using her left hand and quipped, “Does that mean it’s half the price?”

In a light-hearted exchange, she texted a photo of her injured hand to her friend Carol, who jokingly replied about needing to attend Prince Harry’s Invictus game. “That was that,” Hambling remarked.

During the festival, she spoke alongside artist Sara Lucas in the historic grounds once belonging to Bloomsbury group luminaries Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. They recently announced their winter show at Sadie Coles HQ, with each artist having been chosen by the other.

Commenting on the art world, Hambling described it as a “smelling, stupid world,” while Lucas added that many artists aspire to join “success clubs” to become “enriched” and even dream of owning yachts.

“Kind of like Tracy Emin,” Hambling joked, adding a touch of humor to their discussion.