ROBIN WALKER, MFT

Being an expressionist painter and being a therapist require distinctly different skills! As a therapist, I seek understanding through empathy and deep thought. If I use those skills in painting, my work will be overworked, boring and derivative. For me to paint, I have to turn off analysis and understanding. If I think about what I’m painting I won’t do it. I’ll become crippled with “what’s that supposed to be?” My self awareness will kick in big time and I’ll never finish a single painting—it’ll never be good enough. So, when I paint, I just paint. It took a long time to be able to do that.

I’ve never had trouble choosing subjects. I paint what’s in me at a given moment or what plagues me, begging for attention. And I don’t ask “why.” I remain obedient to my creative urges, which I’ve learned over more than 30 years of both painting and clinical work. I’m a better person when I honor my creative urges.

Date Night
(Acrylics on Wood Panel, 2021, 40” x 30”) 

When I was 12 and away on a camping trip, my older cousin returned from a hike carrying a dead rattlesnake and a knife. We didn’t even know he had a knife. One of the moms sautéed it in garlic and butter and we ate it. If you’re wondering what rattlesnake tastes like, it tastes like butter and garlic.

I’ve done 10 or 11 versions of this image. I don’t know why and I don’t care why. It feels satisfying to do it. I feel like an artist. I don’t know if it’s important or not (any therapist worth their salt would say it is!), but I love painting and I’m proud of it. That’s enough.

“Date Night” shows a rough-looking guy on his way to impress his lady. Which will impress her more; the flowers or the snake?

See more paintings on my Instagram: @robinwalkerstudio