5 art quotes

5 Quotes on the Nature of Art

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Rick Rubin quote

It has been a few months since I posted a series of Art Quotes. This group of 5 includes quotes on the relationship between art and nature, and on the very nature of art itself.

I’ve included quotes by:

Rick Rubin (record producer)
Scott Adams (Dilbert creator, cartoonist and author)
Neil Gaiman (author of novels, short stories, comic book series and more)
Anais Nin (diarist, writer of essays, short stories and more)
Saint Francis of Assisi, who needs no introduction (Italian Catholic friar)

“The power of nature is such that it’s what all art strives to be. The more we can get in tune with the harmony of the planet, the more our art can benefit from that relationship.”

~ Rick Rubin

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Scott Adams quote

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
— Scott Adams
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Neil Gaiman quote

The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.
— Neil Gaiman
FYI: I added (or artist) to the quote.

Anais Nin quote

It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.
— Anais Nin

Saint Francis of Assisi quote

He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands. his head, and his heart, is an artist.
— Saint Francis of Assisi

NOTE: On the Anais Nin quote, I added (or artist).

You may also be interested in:
5 Art Quotes to Inspire
5 Quotes by Famous Artists
5 Art Quotes by Audrey Flack

5 Art Quotes by Audrey Flack

I became familiar with Audrey Flack many years ago when I attended an art educators conference. At the time I was an art teacher/art therapist for a small program of vision impaired multi-handicapped kids. 

Audrey Flack is an American artist who pioneered the art of photorealism. Her book, Art & Soul: Notes on Creating, is packed with quotable statements. Both her artwork and her words have been an inspiration to many artists through the years.

“The act of painting is a spiritual covenant between the maker and the higher powers. The intent of the artist flows through the work of art, no matter what the technique or style.”

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Audrey Flack quote #1

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Audrey Flack quote #2

“When you're in the studio painting, there are a lot of people in there with you. Your teachers, friends, painters from history, critics...and one by one, if you're really painting, they walk out. And if you're really painting, you walk out.”

Audrey Flack quote #3

“I believe in the energy of art, and through the use of that energy, the artist's ability to transform his or her life, and by example, the lives of others.”

Audrey Flack quote #4

“I do know that the process of art is a series of jolts, or perhaps I mean volts, for art is an extraordinarily faithful transmitter. Our job is to keep our receiving equipment in good working order.”

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Audrey Flack quote #5

"True art puts you in touch with that part of yourself that knows the truth."

5 Art Quotes by Famous Artists

Joan Miro quote

Last month I posted 5 Art Quotes to Inspire. This time I’m sharing quotes from well known artists. And you may find that many of them are just as inspirational.

Artists have a unique perspective on the world… and you can see it, not only in their work, but in their words as well. These quotes provide a momentary glance into their thoughts and the way they saw their work and the world.

I’ve included quotes of Miro, Kandinsky, da Vinci, and O’Keefe.

“You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can look at a picture for a second and think about it all your life.”

~ Joan Miro

Wassily Kandinsky quote

“The artist must train not only his eye but also his soul.”

~ Wassily Kandinsky

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Leonardo da Vinci quote

“The painter has the Universe in his mind and hands.”

~ Leonardo da Vinci

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Georgia O’Keefe quote #1

“I often painted fragments of things because it seemed to make my statement as well as or better than the whole could.”

~ Georgia O’Keeffe

Georgia O’Keefe quote #2

“Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant. There is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.”

~ Georgia O’Keeffe