577 Quotes About Painting

The figure in the icon is not meant to represent literally what Peter or John or any of the apostles looked like, or what Mary looked like, nor the child, Jesus. But, the orthodox painter feels, Jesus of Nazareth did not walk around Galilee faceless. The icon of Jesus may not look like the man Jesus two thousand years ago, but it represents some *quality* of Jesus, or his mother, or his followers, and so becomes an open window through which we can be given a new glimpse of the love of God.

One of the most beautiful things to do is to paint darkness, which nevertheless has light in it.

My business is to paint what I see, not what I know is there.

There is something particularly fascinating about seeing places you know in a piece of art - be that in a film, or a photograph, or a painting.

I love women more on canvas than real life, for they seldom change on canvas!” 

I intend to destroy, destroy everything that exists in painting. I have utter contempt for painting.

Like the sundial, my paint box counts no hours but sunny ones.

I became an artist because I wanted to be an active participant in the conversation about art.

Boomer had asked her once, in a telephone call from Virginia, “Why does this stuff, these hand-painted hallucinations that don’t do nothin’ but confuse the puddin’ out of a perfectly reasonable wall, why does it mean so much to you?” It was a poor connection, but he could have sworn he heard her say, “In the haunted house of life, art is the only stair that doesn’t creak.