The painter of genius will not waste a moment upon those smaller objects which only serve to catch the sense, to divide the attention, and to counteract his great design of speaking to the heart.

There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking.

The real character of a man is found out by his amusements.

Few have been taught to any purpose who have not been their own teachers.

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts.

Our Exhibitions [The Royal Academy] have... a mischievous tendency, by seducing the Painter to an ambition of pleasing indiscriminately the mixed multitude of people who resort to them.

Art in its perfection is not ostentatious; it lies hid and works its effect, itself unseen.

The great end of all arts is to make an impression on the imagination and the feeling. The imitation of nature frequently does this. Sometimes it fails and something else succeeds.

A mere copier of nature can never produce anything great.

Taste depends upon those finer emotions which make the organization of the soul.

Genius is supposed to be a power of producing excellences which are put of the reach of the rules of art: a power which no precepts can teach, and which no industry can acquire.

The mutual practice of giving and receiving is an everyday ritual when we know true love.

The 'good old times' - all times when old are good.

I'm more and more in control of my own vibration.

Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings.

There are more fools in the world than there are people.

I like to be on the edge, on the cutting edge, or be into the unknown, into the territory where I have to depend on being in the moment and depending on my instincts.

What are Fred and I? Next door neighbors?

I just feel so fortunate, A, that I'm able to talk to people and B, keep in contact with my real friends.

Most people believe you have to have some moral absolutes if you want to hold back chaos.

I looked back, but Bast and Sadie seemed fine. They were still staring at the water as if it were some amazing Internet video.