5 Not-Rules for Artists

I once gave one of my favourite art students advice about a painting, and they said, “Thank you, Katherine, and I hear you, but that’s not what I’m going to do. I’m going to do it this way,” and I thought—yes. That’s perfect.

There are no rules with art, not really, and the best teachers know that. So in honour of my best art teacher, Mrs. Robinson, and the sort of artist (and teacher) I hope to be, here are 5 of my favourite 'Not-Rules for Artists'. 

1.⁠ ⁠Spend time on your idea, then let it go.

I often ask my students to talk about what they want to create—or to sketch it first, just loosely, on a separate piece of paper. This makes the idea real. It gives it shape.

Then, I ask them to let it go.

The most important thing is not to be afraid of the canvas. I love being spontaneous, and often those first raw markings take the painting in a direction I didn’t expect—something I couldn’t plan, and couldn’t re-create if I tried.

There’s something beautiful about following where the brush leads, even if it takes you somewhere completely different.

2.⁠ ⁠Everything is an inspiration.

I’ve learned so much by studying other artists—how they use colour, movement, light, and proportion. But in the end, my deepest inspiration comes from simply stepping outside.

The way people hold their bodies. The texture of leaves. The expression in an animal’s eyes. The world offers so much, if we pause and really look.

So I encourage my students to draw from their own lives. What do you love to look at in the world? What makes you stop and stare? Start there.

3.⁠ ⁠Movement is better than perfection. 

I used to paint with music on—sometimes playing the same song again and again until it seeped into my hands and shaped the rhythm of my brushstrokes. These days I paint in silence, but I still let that energy guide me.

Big, expressive strokes aren’t for everyone. But however you paint, find a way to be present in your body. When I need to take a break, I step away from the canvas and look at it, letting the markings guide me to my next strokes. The worst thing that might happen is that I don’t like it, so I scrape back and let those scrapes become my new connection point.

Painting isn’t about control—it’s about connection. It should feel like dancing, not measuring.

4.⁠ Everybody loves a mistake.

“Mistakes” are just moments asking to be listened to. They can show you something new, or lead you in a different direction. Sometimes they become the best part of the painting.

Njaa the warthog started out as a lion. I scraped back layer after layer, frustrated. But once I stopped forcing it, something else began to appear—unexpected, but perfect. A warthog. So I followed it.

Don’t be afraid to scrap what’s not working. Something better might be waiting underneath.

5.⁠ ⁠Be brave with your heart. 

Pour yourself into the work—your energy, your emotion, your hopes and fears and the bits of you that aren’t so pretty.

The paintings people connect with most are never the neatest ones. They’re the ones where I was honest. Where I felt something. Even when I wasn’t sure if it would work.

If you paint with your whole heart, people will feel it—even if they don’t know why. And if that’s still a little scary? You can always show it to me first. I would love to see your art.

PS. The paintings in this newsletter are glimpses from different moments in my life—some go all the way back to Paris (seven years ago!), and even to when I was just 18. I can’t return to those moments, but I can share them.

If you’d like to collect one of these pieces, I’d be so happy to arrange a private viewing—and tell you the stories behind the brushstrokes.