I use the gallery as if it were a doctor. I come for ideas and help - to look at situations within painting, rather than paintings.

The painter makes real to others his innermost feelings about all that he cares for. A secret becomes known to everyone who views the picture through the intensity with which it is felt.

Painting is sometimes like those recipes where you do all manner of elaborate things to a duck, and then end up putting it on one side and only using the skin.

The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real.

What do I ask of a painting? I ask it to astonish, disturb, seduce, convince.

Everything is autobiographical and everything is a portrait.

Full, saturated colours have an emotional significance I want to avoid.

The aura given out by a person or object is as much a part of them as their flesh.

It is the only point of getting up every morning: to paint, to make something good, to make something even better than before, not to give up, to compete, to be ambitious.

I've always wanted to create drama in my pictures, which is why I paint people. It's people who have brought drama to pictures from the beginning. The simplest human gestures tell stories.

I paint people, not because of what they are like, not exactly in spite of what they are like, but how they happen to be.

It takes loneliness in oneself to recognize it in another.

I'll buy metaphor, but simile's a cop-out used by scaredycats who won't commit to anything. Simile's for cowards.

I was the youngest of five, and I think my mother always knew I was meant to be an actress.

Never exceed your rights, and they will soon become unlimited.

What Facebook stands for in the world is giving people a voice and spreading ideas and rationalism.

I watch 'Jeopardy!' every night and 'Wheel of Fortune' follows. And every time I'm like, 'Whoa, it's still on! This is still happening!'

I'm a Taurus, you know. A bull. I belong in a field.

Canadians are always asking the questions the rest of us are afraid to ask.

I still consider myself a very spiritual person but the structure of the church isn't really for me.

I and my bosom must debate awhile, and then I would no other company.