But I was in awe of the painters; I mean I was new in New York, and I thought the painting that was going on here was just unbelievable

There was a whole language that I could never make function for myself; it revolved around words like 'tortured', 'struggle'. 'pain'.. .I could never see these qualities in paint - I could see them in life and art that illustrates life. But I could not see such conflicts in the materials and I knew that it had to be in the attitude of the painter.

If you don't have trouble paying the rent, you have trouble doing something else; one needs just a certain amount of trouble.

Success is a worn down pencil.

I'm not so facile that I can accomplish or find out what I want to know or explore enough of the possibilities and a way of making a painting, say, in just one painting or two paintings.

I am sick of talking about What and Why I am doing. I have always believed that the WORK is the word. Action is seen less clearly through reason. There are no shortcuts to directness.

While my classmates were reading their textbooks, I drew in the margins.