Sometimes the hardest part of a painting is not the first brushstroke. It is finding the small spark that gets you back to the easel in the first place.
Over the years I’ve kept a growing collection of thoughts from painters I admire. A sentence about looking carefully, colour, patience or simply getting on with the work can be surprisingly useful when you’re standing in front of a blank canvas. So we’ve gathered them together in a new Art Quotes library for you to dip into whenever you need a little lift.
You can browse the collection by theme — light, colour, creativity, observation, nature, practice, perseverance and emotion — or travel through the different eras of art. Some days you might want a reminder to look more closely. Other days, a bit of courage is the thing.
Vincent van Gogh put it beautifully in a letter to his brother Theo: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” That is a very good painting-day thought. Mix a little colour, make one honest mark, then another. It all adds up.
And when you are out painting from life, John Constable’s words are worth carrying with you: “Painting is a science, and should be pursued as an inquiry into the laws of nature.” In other words, keep looking. The sky, the shadows and the edges will tell you far more than a formula ever can.
These are not rules to follow. They are company from painters who wrestled with many of the same things we do: getting started, trusting our eyes, pushing through a difficult patch and noticing the beauty right in front of us. We have taken care to include the source information where it is known, so you can enjoy the words with their proper context.
Next time you’re about to paint, have a wander through the Art Quotes library. Choose one line that catches your eye and let it sit beside your palette for the session. You may be surprised where it takes you.
Browse the Art Quotes library →
And if you’re wondering what to paint next, take the painting quiz and I’ll help you find a great place to begin.
Happy painting,
Richard
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