--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Make a painting you can work on for a…" description: "\"Make a painting you can work on for a long period, and make it look like it doesn't show any effort.\" — Alex Katz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/alex-katz-25578_artist_make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-lo_1138283.png" --- # Make a painting you can work on for a long period, and… ![“Make a painting you can work on for a long period, and make it look like it doesn't show any effort.” quote by Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/alex-katz-25578_artist_make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-lo_1138283.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/alex-katz-25578_artist_make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-lo_1138283.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/alex-katz-25578_artist_make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-lo_1138283.png) > “Make a painting you can work on for a long period, and make it look like it doesn't show any effort.” [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating art that appears effortless masks the labor and skill involved, inviting deeper appreciation. **In simple terms:** Make art look easy to hide effort. Key Takeaway Embrace visible process. Themes artistry perception effort Mood thoughtful creative Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - gallery exhibitions - student projects - public murals - digital design Key Concepts aesthetic theory craftsmanship Questions to Reflect On - Why hide effort? - How does perceived effort affect viewer response? A Different Perspective Effortless look may undervalue the artist's work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Doesn Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doesn-effort-702899/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Make Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-painting-1420470/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Painting Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting-work-299431/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Work Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-long/) ## Related quotes > [“I was a little busy being shot at.” “Busy? Aw, mate. It doesn’t take any effort at all to get shot at.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-was-a-little-busy-being-shot-at-busy-aw-mate-it-doesn-t-take-any/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [It doesn't take any effort to dream. It's a lot easier than looking at the problems in front of you and figuring out what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fuyumi-ono/it-doesn-t-take-any-effort-to-dream-it-s-a-lot-easier-than-looking-at/) [Fuyumi Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fuyumi-ono/) > [Its better to be single than be with a person who doesn't even put effort in the relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-better-to-be-single-than-be-with-a-person-who-doesn-t-even-put/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My work is about your seeing. There is a rich tradition in painting of work about light, but it is not light -- it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/my-work-is-about-your-seeing-there-is-a-rich-tradition-in-painting-of/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [There's nothing more special than intellect and labour that makes painting work. There's no magic there; it's information, and it's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intellect-and-labour-that-makes/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [What one has most to work and struggle for in painting is to do the work with a great amount of labour and sweat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelangelo/what-one-has-most-to-work-and-struggle-for-in-painting-is-to-do-the/) [Michelangelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelangelo/) > [I'm a tireless worker; I don't consider painting a work, it is not an obligation, I do it for pleasure; I haven't found anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-botero/i-m-a-tireless-worker-i-don-t-consider-painting-a-work-it-is-not-an/) [Fernando Botero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-botero/) > [When you make a painting, even abstract, there is always a sort of necessary filling-in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/when-you-make-a-painting-even-abstract-there-is-always-a-sort-of/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [“Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/cooking-a-meal-that-would-be-consumed-in-fifteen-minutes-had-no/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [If you are someone like Jeff Koons, and you have to work out how to make a big chrome heart or something, then there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-doig/if-you-are-someone-like-jeff-koons-and-you-have-to-work-out-how-to/) [Peter Doig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-doig/) > [I make sure I make a painting - that's my job. And I cook the Sunday dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-childish/i-make-sure-i-make-a-painting-that-s-my-job-and-i-cook-the-sunday/) [Billy Childish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-childish/) > [If you're not an actor, or if you're any other kind of artist, there's this sense that, "I must express this thing." Why make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lola-kirke/if-you-re-not-an-actor-or-if-you-re-any-other-kind-of-artist-there-s/) [Lola Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lola-kirke/) > [There are different kinds of concentration required to make a painting, different kinds of being present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bradley/there-are-different-kinds-of-concentration-required-to-make-a/) [Joe Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bradley/) > [No, the thing to do is try to make a painting that will be alive in your own lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/no-the-thing-to-do-is-try-to-make-a-painting-that-will-be-alive-in/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [In fine arts, when you make a painting, it's just a painting. But if you make a painting in the entertainment industry, it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/in-fine-arts-when-you-make-a-painting-it-s-just-a-painting-but-if-you/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) ## More by Alex Katz > [You have to find what your temperament is like and live around it. I find I work really well off the top of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/you-have-to-find-what-your-temperament-is-like-and-live-around-it-i/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [If you're going to go for 'it' you have a common thing you share with other artists; that's desperation. You jump out a window…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/if-you-re-going-to-go-for-it-you-have-a-common-thing-you-share-with/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [You usually want to get something out of a painting other than the ideas that you had in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/you-usually-want-to-get-something-out-of-a-painting-other-than-the/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [I know people can be a little nervous about swimsuits, but have some fun with it. Believe you can hold it down. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/i-know-people-can-be-a-little-nervous-about-swimsuits-but-have-some/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [I like to make an image that is so simple you can't avoid it, and so complicated you can't figure it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/i-like-to-make-an-image-that-is-so-simple-you-can-t-avoid-it-and-so/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [Paint faster than you can think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/paint-faster-than-you-can-think/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [I use the iPhone now for information. But with selfies, I don't know what those people are doing. It's like they believe what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/i-use-the-iphone-now-for-information-but-with-selfies-i-don-t-know/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [Sometimes it takes me days or weeks to get something clear in my head on what I want to do. Everything is in steps.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/sometimes-it-takes-me-days-or-weeks-to-get-something-clear-in-my-head/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [What makes everything one is the style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/what-makes-everything-one-is-the-style/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [Part of what Im about is seeing how I can paint the same thing differently instead of different things the same way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/part-of-what-im-about-is-seeing-how-i-can-paint-the-same-thing/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [The abstract expressionists had that thing of, subject matter becomes content, content becomes form. And I always thought there was no room for style.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/the-abstract-expressionists-had-that-thing-of-subject-matter-becomes/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [Picasso and Matisse were the guys I wanted to get away from, and cubism is all still lifes. Their paintings are all closed drawings.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/picasso-and-matisse-were-the-guys-i-wanted-to-get-away-from-and/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [My mother thought I would have a hard life as a painter. My father thought the highest thing a person could be was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/my-mother-thought-i-would-have-a-hard-life-as-a-painter-my-father/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [You have to be a little scared of what you're doing. Otherwise, you just paint the same masterpiece a little worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/you-have-to-be-a-little-scared-of-what-you-re-doing-otherwise-you/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [If you know what you're doing, you're doing dull stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/if-you-know-what-you-re-doing-you-re-doing-dull-stuff/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) [Explore all 23 Alex Katz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Make a painting you can work on for a long period, and make it look like it doesn't show any effort.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alex Katz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-long-period-and-make-it-look/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-long-period-and-make-it-look/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/alex-katz-25578_artist_make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-lo_1138283.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/alex-katz-25578_artist_make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-lo_1138283.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/alex-katz-25578_artist_make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-lo_1138283.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Make a painting you can work on for a long period, and make it look like it doesn't show any effort.” — Alex Katz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alex Katz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Make a painting you can work...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-long-period-and-make-it-look/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-long-period-and-make-it-look/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```