A day in the life of an artist - that's ludicrous - there is no typical day. With that said, I try, but I'm not always successful. I'm up showered and had breakfast by 8 (have read the paper too, and finished the crossword). By the way, I'm sure some artists who work in a home studio like I do probably don't get dressed - I do, I dress casually, jean shorts and a tee that I don't mind splattering with paint (my wife minds, she thinks she has to get it out - I can hear her now, "You're ruining all your clothes!"). It's been said that artists have two kinds of clothes, "those with paint" and "those that will have paint."
I then spend about an hour on the computer, updating different sites to which I belong and checking emails. I start painting about 9:00 - this is when it becomes atypical. How can it not be? I work on several paintings at the same time - you see, I become easily bored. Furthermore, I paint on one, wait for it to dry then on to another and so on. I failed to mention even though I don't usually get up before 6:30, I'm very often awake at 4 with a number of creative ideas for the day. When I paint I listen to jazz - I rarely hear anything else. I get in the "zone." My mind is jumping from idea to idea, from painting to painting, from sketching to painting and back again. At times, I stop to photograph a finished piece, and also to have a mid-morning snack. Then I paint until 12:30 or 1:00 when I stop for lunch after which I paint until about 3:00 or 3:30 when I am painted out.
Now it's wine time and back to the computer. The evening is spent reading and watching crime shows or Jeopardy.
Is this typical? For me, perhaps, but not always - there are other mundane chores that I hate. Running to purchase art supplies. Preparing canvases. Accounting (ugh!), I hate that. Marketing - now that's a big one! But then if I didn't market myself, no one would know or care.
Remember, my favorite quote is by Cecile D. DeMille, "Creativity is a passion I cannot live without."
Ciao, Jerry
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