There is nothing that special to see when looking at me.

Art is a line around your thoughts.

On my first days here I did not start work immediately but, as planned, I took it easy for a few days - flicked through books, studied Japanese art a little.

There is always hope, as long as the canvases are empty.

If the weather is good I go into the nearby wood - there I am painting a small beech forest (in the sun) with a few conifers mixed in. This takes until 8 'o clock.

There is no self-portrait of me.

Even when I have to write a simple letter I'm scared stiff as if faced with looming seasickness.

True relaxation, which would do me the world of good, does not exist for me.

Whoever wants to know something about me - as an artist which alone is significant - they should look attentively at my pictures and there seek to recognise what I am and what I want.

I can paint and draw. I believe this myself and a few other people say that they believe this too. But I'm not certain of whether it's true.

There is nothing that special to see when looking at me. I'm a painter who paints day in day out, from morning till evening - figure pictures and landscapes, more rarely portraits.

If you don't fear the failure, then failures are the best muscle builder.

It is the presence of sin that prevents man from being truly happy.

It may sound corny, but what's wrong with wanting to fight for your country. Why are people reluctant to use the word patriotism?

Some really good things kind of swing both ways and I like to see people that can swing really, really, really sad and horrible and terrible and really, really, really beautiful and funny.

Everyone wants to demagogue everyone else. That may be good politics, but it's awful policy.

You get to a certain age and you just want to prove that you can still rock - that you've still got it.

That strange blend of the commercial traveller, the missionary and the barbarian conqueror, which was the American abroad.

I think being condemned to death is the only real distinction," said Mathilde. "It is the only thing which cannot be bought.

Practice is absolutely necessary. You may sit down and listen to me by the hour every day, but if you do not practice, you will not get one step further. It all depends on practice.

Sir, it is not God who will assemble us on the battlefield, nor position our troops, nor place the cannon, and it is not God who will aim the musket.