“A nation devoid of art and artists cannot have a full existence.”

“The counterfeit and counterpart of Nature is reproduced in art.”

“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.”

“I think most of the people involved in any art always secretly wonder whether they are really there because they're good or there because they're lucky.”

“I have a small house so I borrow everything except art, that's what I love.”

“The principle of art is to pause, not bypass.”

“Don't be an art critic. Paint. There lies salvation.”

“When I am finishing a picture, I hold some God-made object up to it - a rock, a flower, the branch of a tree or my hand - as a final test. If the painting stands up beside a thing man cannot make, the painting is authentic. If there's a clash between the two, it's bad art.”

“Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.”