What is nobler than a man wresting and wringing his bread from the stubborn soil by the sweat of his brow and the break of his back for his wife and children!

The mission of art is to represent nature not to imitate her.

Don't talk of what you are 'going to do!' Do it!

Imagination comes in after we have experience.

You are to draw not reality, but the appearance of reality!

Give up the idea of 'color' for awhile! Consider masses - values, only... One dark and one light place in every picture.

Believe that time is going to help you do what you want.

You can't do a fine thing without having seen fine examples.

Elaboration is not beauty, and sand-paper never finished a piece of bad work.

You can always draw as well as you know how to. I flatter myself that I feel more than I express on canvas; but I know that is not so.

Inspiration is nothing without work.

How can we tell when trouble shall arise?

Truth indeed rather alleviates than hurts, and will always bear up against falsehood, as oil does above water.

We leave our presence in the pavement. We're walking over it, sitting on steps.

The greatest obstacle to discovering the truth is being convinced that you already know it.

For instance, why are we terrorizing this country, leading with murder and mayhem, when crime is actually on the decline, as somebody, as somebody mentioned?

love is a deeper season than reason; my sweet one

I have this belief that children become readers before they can read. They become hooked on books because they were read aloud to as a child.

Into this wild abyss, The womb of Nature and perhaps her grave.

I'M FREE! - I'm free, And freedom tastes of reality, I'm free - I'm free, An' I'm waiting for you to follow me.

It took the producers a while to realize I wanted a full-bodied life. I wanted to get out before I felt I'd sacrificed so much to get somewhere that I couldn't afford to leave.