4 Comments

Amen! Agree 100%. As someone who rusts sculptures and makes baskets out of undesirable plants, I thank you for putting such good advice out there on the 'nets so we can live it IRL. 😊

Expand full comment

Even after four years of university getting a Fine Arts degree, there was nothing I was taught as a “rule”. Techniques sure but no one ever talked about rules. I think the rules stuff comes from people that want to imply a form of authority, often to convince others they are doing something wrong and need their services.

I think art making can be filled with structures, patterns, techniques, strategies and we might even define boundaries for ourselves as we work. But I completely agree with you that rules that come from outside of an artist’s practice should be treated with a high degree of skepticism.

As an aside, I call most of what I make “drawings” but that’s just how they feel to me. That includes using paint, pencils, pens, collage, etc. It’s mostly commercial structures like galleries that enforce labelling artwork as one thing or another to streamline sales and target possible collectors.

Expand full comment

Agreed!! I only respect a few rules of watercolor as well, I don’t know what I’m not supposed to do and I try to keep it that way. Except the light to dark thing, that’s a practical rule that keeps you from making mud. Also, I use plenty of white and black paint, especially white gouache to add stars and highlights to my space paintings.

Expand full comment

You are spot on! The gate keepers are bent on imposing art school dogma. There are countless artists who never manifested their greater potential because they obeyed dogma more than intuition and curiosity. What a shame.

Thank you for this!

Expand full comment