The paintings live because their creator has been passionately attentive to their theme, and his attention has left something for us to look at. It seems a sort of miracle.

The painter must give a completely free rein to any feeling or sensations he may have and reject nothing to which he is naturally drawn.

Painting is sometimes like those recipes where you do all manner of elaborate things to a duck, and then end up putting it on one side and only using the skin.

The aura given out by a person or object is as much a part of them as their flesh. The effect that they make in space is as bound up with them as might be their colour or smell ... Therefore the painter must be as concerned with the air surrounding his subject as with the subject itself. It is through observation and perception of atmosphere that he can register the feeling that he wishes his painting to give out.

The paintings that really excite me have an erotic element or side to them irrespective of subject matter

The model should only serve the very private function for the painter of providing the starting point for his excitement

The character of the artist doesn't enter into the nature of the art