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

The remarks about my reaching the age of Social Security and coming to the end of the road, they jolted me. And that was good. Because I sure as hell had no intention of just sitting around for the rest of my life. So I'd whip out the paints and really go to it.

I didn't know what to expect from a famous movie star; maybe that he'd be sort of stuck-up, you know. But not Gary Cooper. He horsed around so much... that I had a hard time painting him.

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

It wouldn't be right for me to clown around when I'm painting a president.

Right from the beginning, I always strived to capture everything I saw as completely as possible.

Eisenhower had about the most expressive face I ever painted, I guess. Just like an actor's. Very mobile. When he talked, he used all the facial muscles. And he had a great, wide mouth that I liked. When he smiled, it was just like the sun came out.