All John F. Carlson Quotes
- A picture is a work of art, not because it is 'modern,' nor because it is 'ancient,' but because it is a sincere expression of… Ancient
- The artist himself is often surprised at the finished work of art. He cannot tell 'how it happened', nor could he repeat the feat at… Art
- In the anxiety to get beautiful colour harmony do not exhaust all combinations on one canvas. All
- Good colour really means good taste; and 'powerful' colour means a reserve, to give a climax its full force, and not 'red, white, and blue… All
- We must not imitate the externals of nature with so much fidelity that the picture fails to evoke that wonderful teasing recurrence of emotion that… Art
- A work of art in paint should be beautiful and expressive as abstract colour and form and should not interest us necessarily in any 'story'… Abstract
- The eye and soul are caressed in the contemplation of form and colour. The subtle changes of colour over a surface - transitions that are… Appeal
- Rest assured that if you work every day at your art, using the materials nearest at hand, you will gradually discover such beauty in them… Art
- It is the ability to determine consciously what it is that interests him, and why, that differentiates the artist from the art student. Ability
- This art of conservation is strength, and makes the masterpiece a masterpiece. Otherwise, the man who simply brought all the different colors obtainable, and squeezed… All
- If you train yourself in memory work, you fearlessly attack and rearrange your material, for you can retain your original impression. Attack
- The underlying principles or fundamentals should be so hidden away by the beauty they are eventually to support, that it would require much digging to… Beauty
- To the artist, the forest is an asylum of peace and dancing shadows. Artist
- If you're going to paint from photos, make sure you've painted for at least ten years. From
- It is a curious fact that out-of-door nature is to the beginner an enormously overloaded 'property room.' He sees, for instance, the myriad of leaves… All
- Too much reality in a picture is always a disappointment to the imaginative soul. We love suggestion and not hard facts. Disappointment
- Do not be afraid that too much labour over the composition is going to kill the spontaneity. Those who absorb and digest their experiences are,… Absorb
- Reserve is strength; overstatement is weakness. No one cares to hear the singer's topmost notes when the voice is 'nigh onto breaking. Breaking
- Art is a thing so much of the imagination, of the soul, that it is difficult to descend to the fundamentals of technique and yet… Art
- Trust your feelings entirely about colour, and then, even if you arrive at no infallible colour theory, you will at least have the credit of… Arrive