I tend to paint in an enclosed room.
Yes, I know. I know this is bad, and you’re supposed to air out the turp, and the chemicals, and the smell. You’re also not supposed to:
- taste your paint to see if it’s the right color
- lick your brush tip to straighten it out or check dampness
- rub the paint onto the canvas with your fingers
- especially if you are eating a sandwich while painting
- actually you’re not supposed to eat while you work, are you?
- oh shit, that wasn’t the turp it was my coffee
- whatever, I don’t want to get up and get more
- what is that buzzing noise, anyway
I can say that I have probably done more damage to my brain cells by enjoying my work too much to get up and walk into another room for anything else, including food, than I have ever damaged with liquor or stupid stunts.
And I used to drink until I couldn’t remember which direction to walk to get home, and give people mean headbutts as a show of affection. So…
Air out your studio. Get up and leave the room to eat and have coffee. Don’t eat paint.
If you are anything like me you’ve been told this before and simply ignored it.
I’m not going to presume to give you any horror stories about this kind of weirdness. but that’s only because the worst thing that’s ever happened to me from behaving this way is oily-tasting coffee.
That and the occasional headache.
(this painting is available here, if you like it. go give it some love- eating all that ochre gave me a migraine. Oy, the things I do for you people.)
