Part of our responsibility as painters is making healthful decisions so that we can devote our entire lives to this thing. I have severe obstructive apnea, a sleep disorder in which the soft tissue in the back of my throat collapses, causing me to stop breathing, a problem that my wife diagnosed when we were still dating. My body has to produce a shock of adrenaline to wake me up to breathe, which puts a strain on my heart, not to mention other lovely side effects like high blood pressure, fatigue, memory loss, and even depression. I was sent to Mount Sinai Hospital for a sleep study and now for the rest of my life I have have to wear a continuous positive airway pressure mask when I sleep. A CPAP is basically a fat person’s breathing machine that opens my airway and lets me get the deep, restorative sleep I need to function and paint.
Along with proper sleep, I keep my body limber because painting is a physical activity. Every morning in my studio, I perform a series of stretches developed during my years as a drummer. Here is my routine: remove shoes and socks, sit down in a hard chair, and cross one leg over the other to form a T. Lean forward slowly to stretch the thighs. Repeat with the other leg. Stand up and bow forward, trying not to bend the knees, and slip your hands under your feet, if possible. Hold for one minute. Come back to a standing position. Reach toward the ceiling and wiggle fingers vigorously while keeping shoulders down. Do ten slow windmills with each arm. Sit down and vigorously slap the bottoms of your bare feet. Start painting.
Fresh air is important in any studio, but especially when using solvents and varnishes. I keep my windows open most of the year and use an exhaust fan in winter. Paint rags should be disposed of on a regular basis, and solvent containers should be kept sealed. You should also wear a dust mask when sanding and latex gloves when painting; the gloves can be found at any pharmacy in the bandage and gauze section.
Since I wipe brushes on my clothing, I buy new black T-shirts in bulk; I go through at least three shirts per week. For pants, I wear loose nylon basketball shorts. Since painters are on their feet constantly, attention should also be paid to the lower extremities. My surgeon father-in-law turned me on to compression stockings, which are knee-length, tight-fitting socks that keep my feet from swelling. Comfortable footwear is important too. I wear size fourteen rubber Crocs, which are easy to slip on and off and repel the slop that flies around as I work.
Finally, a bottle of hand moisturizer and a nail file are always on my desk because my mother said that people notice your hands first; decades of nail biting have left me with knobby, Shrek fingers. Fresh drinking water and graham crackers are my snacks of choice, and, in an effort to lose weight, I installed a tropical juice bar in my studio, complete with a blender, bowls of fruit, and a small tiki totem. Every day at noon, I put ice, almond milk, a pint of blackberries, a pint of blueberries, a banana, and walnuts in the blender, and that is my lunch. Although I am grossly over-served at steakhouses, my diet is fairly healthful because the best way to deal with your critics is to outlive them.