The trouble with rules is knowing which ones to follow and which ones to break. I’ve come to really appreciate this lately. You see, I started a new venture this year. DebKArt Home Studios is hosting some of today’s master painters to teach workshops in Northern Virginia, in my home studios. I thought I had well stocked studios. I’ve been painting and teaching from them for so many years now, I was sure I’d thought of everything an artist needs and then some. But here’s the thing – Some instructors want natural light. Others want windows darkened so we can use artificial light. Some instructors and students MUST stand to paint. Others only sit. Some will paint only from life. Others will paint only from photos. Some squint. Others say keep your eyes open, or you won’t be able to see.

Don’t even get me started on how passionate artists can be about their brands of paints, mediums, substrates and brushes!

I am learning that whether you paint the light like Rembrandt did, or in glazes like Vermeer, or with direct deliberate strokes like Sargent, there is a rule book unique to each of these master artists. And the rules contradict each other. If you try to follow them all, you drive yourself crazy getting caught up in a web of absolutes, and you produce nothing.