If there was sadness in this creative world of mine, it was a pleasant sadness. If there were problems, they were humorous problems.

The view of life I communicate in my pictures excludes the sordid and ugly. I paint life as I would like it to be.

Everyone in those days expected that art students were wild, licentious characters. We didn't know how to be, but we sure were anxious to learn.

If a picture wasn't going very well, I'd put a puppy in it.

My best efforts were some modern things that looked like very lousy Matisses. Thank God I had the sense to realize they were lousy, and leave Paris.

The secret to so many artists living so long is that every painting is a new adventure. So, you see, they're always looking ahead to something new and exciting. The secret is not to look back.

If a picture wasn't going very well I'd put a puppy dog in it, always a mongrel, you know, never one of the full bred puppies. And then I'd put a bandage on its foot... I liked it when I did it, but now I'm sick of it.