A Practice of Presence: An Artist Spotlight On Katie White

For Katie, painting has always been a place of comfort—but over the years, it became something more: a way to slow down, let go, and reconnect with the present moment.

After years of approaching watercolor with precision and a pursuit of perfection, teaching elementary art helped her rediscover the freedom of creating without a plan. Eventually, she began following the movement of water rather than controlling it, transforming her practice into a form of meditation through breath and brushwork.

In this interview, she reflects on her evolving relationship with watercolor, the lessons she learned from her students, and how letting go of control changed both her art and her life.

Finding Stillness

When did painting first become a source of relaxation for you?

I have been painting since I was a child, art was a place of comfort and security. I found my confidence in the art room when the academic classrooms were a struggle.

I started painting with oils, but found them messy. Watercolor drew me in with its unpredictability, and I loved being able to layer it for detail. I have painted with watercolor regularly since high school, over 35 years now.

 
This carried into my BFA in Editorial Illustration, where watercolor and pen and ink became my main medium. The supplies were easy to carry to and from class and they didn't make a big mess. But precision drove the choice. I was always chasing perfection.

Teaching elementary art gave me the encouragement to shift my style. I watched my students pick up a brush with no plan and no fear. They painted a purple sky and a green sun without a second thought. They laughed when colors bled together in ways they didn't expect. They never chased perfection. They painted, and it showed on their faces.

I started painting beside them. I stopped correcting my own lines and let the water move where it wanted. Their freedom became mine.

Over the years, I let go of that control. I stopped painting to fulfilll a request and started painting to see what would happen next. The same medium that once demanded precision now teaches me to trust the process instead. I love watercolor for its unpredictability. I don't fight it anymore, I follow it.

Was there a particular moment when you realized painting could become a meditative practice?

Yes. In 2021, I experienced burnout. My doctor ran bloodwork and when everything came back in the red, she told me to go home and meditate. I had no idea how to do this. Traditional meditation didn't work for me.

I tried sitting still and clearing my mind, and it didn't work. Then I picked up a brush and started painting with my breath, matching each stroke to an inhale or exhale. My mind quieted in a way it never had before. The painting became the meditation.

This moment changed my life and my work. I now teach this practice to 1000's of people around the world.

Could you share your favorite piece of work at this stage and introduce it briefly?

I have a lot of favorites, but my signature style is my abstract landscapes. The horizon line that shows up in the work represents a grounding line... reminding me to stay grounded in the busy world.

How did teaching become part of your journey?

I was asked to teach elementary art at my children's school at the age of 39. It was the hardest, but most informative and rewarding job I have held. I did this for 5 years and then at the age of 44 decided to be a professional artist. I am entering my 10th year as an artistic entrepreneur.

Following the Flow

How do you allow watercolor to guide the direction of a painting?

I watch the paint dance across the paper through the water, this leads me to my next mark.

What do you enjoy about letting water and pigment move naturally across the paper?

It unpredictable and magical.

How do you know when to guide the painting and when to simply let it unfold?

I rely on two things. First, I track my breath. If it stays slow and steady, I continue painting without a plan. If it speeds up, or I notice I'm holding it, I know I'm trying to control the outcome, which is very common and human.

Second, I look at the composition. If it's balanced, I keep going without direction. If it looks unbalanced or incomplete, I step in with a deliberate choice, a color, a shape, or a line, then step back again.

I don't choose one approach over the other unless I am working on a commissioned painting that has limitations.

Do you begin with a particular image in mind, or allow the painting to reveal itself?

I have a subject idea in mind such as an abstract landscape or abstract floral. I choose colors based on how I am feeling that day and let it unfold.

How have Artify brushes influenced your experience of working with watercolor, if at all?

They are smooth and I like how the brushes interact with the water and paint.

How do you respond to unexpected shapes, colors, or blooms in watercolor?

I walk away for a few hours or even days. Reassess with fresh eyes. There are always ways to correct something, but I have to decide if altering is worth it. This only happens when you take a pause.

Making Space to Create

How do you see your practice of art and meditation evolving in the future?

I see this work as my life calling. Painting and meditation are not a phase for me. They are the direction I plan to stay on for the rest of my career.

The part I want to grow most is teaching. Sharing this process with others brings me real joy, and I want to bring it to as many people as I can reach. My goal is to keep expanding the number of people this practice touches, whether that's students in a room with me or people I've never met in person.

I don't see this as a niche interest. I see it as a practice everyone can use, and I plan to keep building the paths that let more people find it.

What would you like to explore more deeply through watercolor?

I have started printing black and white photographs on watercolor paper and exploring painting on top of them... it brings me back to my illustration days and is very meditative.

How do you hope your teaching continues to grow?

I want my teaching to reach people across the world. My aim isn't to build a bigger following. My aim is to put this tool into the hands of everyone who could use it.

Stress, grief, loneliness, and creativity all bring people to this practice. I want to reach each of them, not just people who already call themselves artists. Painting and breath work as tools for real problems, and I want people everywhere to know these tools exist and how to use them.

Do you see art becoming an increasingly important part of how people care for their wellbeing?

Absolutely, I hear stories everyday from people on how art has saved their lives.

What does a meaningful creative practice look like to you?

Doing exactly what I am doing right now. Connecting with people on a global level, sharing my process and encouraging them on their own journey.

Today, watercolor is not something Katie tries to control—it is something she listens to.

Through breath, movement, and the unpredictable nature of water, she creates space to slow down and simply be present. Her abstract landscapes, with their grounding horizon lines, carry that same reminder: even in a busy world, there is always a place to pause.

Sometimes, the path to finding stillness begins with simply picking up a brush.

Want to see more from Katie? Find her here:
Katie's Instagram

-Want to discover more artists and works? Explore Artify Gallery now!