46 Inspirational Quotes About Painting & Life (POETRY)

Updated onDecember 2, 2023

Top 10 Most Famous Quotes About Painting (BEST)

Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. - Leonardo da Vinci — Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. – Leonardo da Vinci

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. - Henry Ward Beecher — Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. – Henry Ward Beecher

Painting is just another way of keeping a diary. - Pablo Picasso — Painting is just another way of keeping a diary. – Pablo Picasso

Life is a painting, and you are the artist. You have on your palette all the colors in the spectrum - the same ones available to Michaelangelo and DaVinci. - Paul J. Meyer — Life is a painting, and you are the artist. You have on your palette all the colors in the spectrum – the same ones available to Michaelangelo and DaVinci. – Paul J. Meyer

A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others. - Salvador Dali — A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others. – Salvador Dali

I dream of painting and then I paint my dream. - Vincent Van Gogh — I dream of painting and then I paint my dream. – Vincent Van Gogh

A beautiful body perishes, but a work of art dies not. - Leonardo da Vinci — A beautiful body perishes, but a work of art dies not. – Leonardo da Vinci

The universe is real but you can’t see it. You have to imagine it. Once you imagine it, you can be realistic about reproducing it. - Alexander Calder — The universe is real but you can’t see it. You have to imagine it. Once you imagine it, you can be realistic about reproducing it. – Alexander Calder

In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine. - Ralph Waldo Emerson — In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. - Thomas Merton — Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. – Thomas Merton

11 Inspirational Quotes About Painting

Your gifts lie in the place where your values, passions and strengths meet. Discovering that place is the first step toward sculpting your masterpiece, Your Life. - Michelangelo — Your gifts lie in the place where your values, passions and strengths meet. Discovering that place is the first step toward sculpting your masterpiece, Your Life. – Michelangelo

Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not. - Pablo Picasso — Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not. – Pablo Picasso

If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all. - Michelangelo — If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all. – Michelangelo

If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you I am here to live out loud. - Emile Zola — If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud. – Emile Zola

If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. - Vincent Van Gogh — If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh

Painting is the silence of thought and the music of sight. ― Orhan Pamuk — Painting is the silence of thought and the music of sight. ― Orhan Pamuk

The world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before. - Neil Gaiman — The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before. – Neil Gaiman

Painting is an infinitely minute part of my personality. - Salvador Dali — Painting is an infinitely minute part of my personality. – Salvador Dali

We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents. - Bob Ross — We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents. – Bob Ross

A fine work of art - music, dance, painting, story - has the power to silence the chatter in the mind and lift us to another place. ― Robert McKee — A fine work of art – music, dance, painting, story – has the power to silence the chatter in the mind and lift us to another place. ― Robert McKee

Painting is the grandchild of nature. It is related to God. - Rembrandt — Painting is the grandchild of nature. It is related to God. – Rembrandt

15 Deep Quotes About Painting that Will Make You Think

Painting is a blind man’s profession. He paints not what he sees, but what he feels, what he tells himself about what he has seen. - Pablo Picasso — Painting is a blind man’s profession. He paints not what he sees, but what he feels, what he tells himself about what he has seen. – Pablo Picasso

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. - Pablo Picasso — Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. – Pablo Picasso

Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks. - Plutarch — Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks. – Plutarch

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. - Scott Adams — Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. – Scott Adams

Art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. - Banksy — Art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. – Banksy

Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing. - Marc Chagall — Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing. – Marc Chagall

Painting is an illusion, a piece of magic, so what you see is not what you see. - Philip Guston — Painting is an illusion, a piece of magic, so what you see is not what you see. – Philip Guston

A painting is never finished – it simply stops in interesting places. - Paul Gardner — A painting is never finished – it simply stops in interesting places. – Paul Gardner

Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. ― Oscar Wilde — Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. ― Oscar Wilde

Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do. - Edgar Degas — Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do. – Edgar Degas

Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things. - Edgar Degas — Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things. – Edgar Degas

If you understand a painting beforehand, you might as well not paint it. - Salvador Dalí — If you understand a painting beforehand, you might as well not paint it. – Salvador Dalí

The painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. - Jackson Pollock — The painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. – Jackson Pollock

Painting is the passage from the chaos of the emotions to the order of the possible. - Balthus — Painting is the passage from the chaos of the emotions to the order of the possible. – Balthus

Every painting is a voyage into a sacred harbor. - Giotto di Bondone — Every painting is a voyage into a sacred harbor. – Giotto di Bondone

10 Wise Quotes that May Inspire You to be a Better Painter

Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is. - Jackson Pollock — Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is. – Jackson Pollock

I don’t paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality. - Frida Kahlo — I don’t paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality. – Frida Kahlo

A man paints with his brains and not with his hands. - Michelangelo — A man paints with his brains and not with his hands. – Michelangelo

The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity. - Alberto Giacometti — The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity. – Alberto Giacometti

To an engineer, good enough means perfect. With an artist, there’s no such thing as perfect. - Alexander Calder — To an engineer, good enough means perfect. With an artist, there’s no such thing as perfect. – Alexander Calder

The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work. - Émile Zola — The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work. – Émile Zola

To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it. - Kurt Vonnegut — To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it. – Kurt Vonnegut

A painting requires a little mystery, some vagueness, and some fantasy. When you always make your meaning perfectly plain you end up boring people. - Edgar Degas — A painting requires a little mystery, some vagueness, and some fantasy. When you always make your meaning perfectly plain you end up boring people. – Edgar Degas

Create with the heart; build with the mind. ― Criss Jami — Create with the heart; build with the mind. ― Criss Jami

If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint. ― Edward Hopper

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Jeremiah Say

Overcoming depression and suicidal thoughts, Jeremiah Say found solace in quotes. After filling countless pages with resonating words, he moved his collection online to save trees and inspire others. Thus, GraciousQuotes.com was born. Jeremiah firmly believes in the power of quotes to swiftly spark inspiration during hard times. His blog is dedicated to uplifting others through these shared wisdoms. Discover more about Gracious Quotes or get in touch with Jeremiah.