How to achieve such anomalies, such alterations and re-fashionings of reality so what comes out of it are lies, if you like, but lies that are more than literal truth.

One must never let the fire go out in one's soul, but keep it burning.

Just slap something on it when you see a blank canvas staring at you with a sort of imbecility.

I see more and more that my work goes infinitely better when I am properly fed, and the paints are there, and the studio and all that... I wish I could manage to make you really understand that when you give money to artists, you are yourself doing an artist's work, and that I only want my pictures to be of such a quality that you will not be too dissatisfied with your work.

Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney and then go on their way.

Here everything is so wholly what I consider beautiful. In other words, there is peace here.

What preys on my mind is simply this one question: what am I good for, could I not be of service or use in some way?