not exactly a “drunk painting” but it seems to fit the header. This is a study for a magellanic cloud for one of my upcoming paintings.

After a lifetime of studying these matters, I think the idea is to cook up the intoxication without imbibing or inhaling substances. Fresh air is okay. A few quick charges around the driveway often does it. You feel heady–kind of aired out. Fact is, unless your work thrives on negativism, misery and error, artists need to be drunk on life–and cardiovascular exercise helps. Then there’s that wonderful return to the creative distillery–the studio. Many emails that come my way tell of euphoria in the home studio. For many among us, every studio hour is happy hour.

via Drunk painting.

I tried drinking and painting once. I tried absinthe, reasoning that it had to be the most artistic and inspiring of all drinks. after all, so many of the artists I love and respect appreciate drank oodles of absinthe – right?

I never have, and never will show the results of that experiment. it was a waste of perfectly good absinthe, and a ton of paint; some of which may still not be dry. here’s an artist’s note for you, more paint does not necessarily equal better!

but I am a big believer in going for a walk to loosen me up for the studio, or to loosen up a creative block or just to stretch my muscles and my mind. I walk everywhere, armed with my trusty iPhone I take photos or set reminders for myself. I take notes as they occur to me and I listen to music. people look at me oddly as I wander around in my paint stained slogs and purple hair, randomly mouthing the lyrics to my music and sometimes sketching in the air with my hands. I usually have a half smile on my face and a far away look as I examine the light through the leaves or the reflections on the cars. I may look like a crazy person, but walking centers me. it helps me think of all my best ideas and work through my feelings and blockages. I feel the sun on my skin and the warmth enters my bones, I feel the music in my step and enjoy looking at the people. when it is raining I have a treadmill next to my studio. I will sometimes hop on it to work out an immediate problem.

I completely agree with Robert Genn in this, there is nothing like a walk to help the creative juices get moving. it’s better than any drug.