The sadness will last forever.

I consciously choose the dog's path through life. I shall be poor; I shall be a painter.

I am an artist... It's self-evident that what that word implies is looking for something all the time without ever finding it in full. It is the opposite of saying, 'I know all about it. I've already found it.' As far as I'm concerned, the word means, 'I am looking. I am hunting for it. I am deeply involved.'

How rich art is, if one can only remember what one has seen, one is never empty of thoughts or truly lonely, never alone.

But for one's health as you say, it is very necessary to work in the garden and see the flowers growing.

All art is a gift. It is first of all a gift that the maker can do it. It is then a gift to someone else, whether they pay for it or not. The wonder of it is that we cannot get the production of these gifts stopped. Art is life seeking itself. It is our intractable expressions of love for the beauties, ideas and epiphanies we regularly find. I framed the painting. It's now hanging in our den. "I have walked this earth for 30 years, and, out of gratitude, want to leave some souvenir.

I always dream a painting like that, with a group of lively figures of the pals.