Barbara at work on “Schemer,” Soft Pastel on Sandpaper, 26” x 20”

*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.

 In art there must be a governing thought expressed eloquently.  We must have it in ourselves, and stamp upon others, just as a medal is stamped… Art is not a pleasure trip; it is a battle, a mill that grinds.  I’m not a philosopher.  I don’t want to stop pain, or find a formula that makes me indifferent or stoic.  Pain is, perhaps, that which makes the artist express himself most distinctly.         

Jean Francois Millet quoted by Mariella Guzzoni in Vincent’s Books:  Van Gogh and the Writers Who Inspired Him 

Comments are welcome!