--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Chase used to say, 'When you're looking…" description: "\"Chase used to say, 'When you're looking at your canvas and worrying about it, try to think of your canvas as the reality and the model as the painted t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/charles-webster-hawthorne-1729_artist_chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at_3101583.jpg" --- # Chase used to say, 'When you're looking at your canvas and… ![“Chase used to say, 'When you're looking at your canvas and worrying about it, try to think of your canvas as the reality and the model as the painted thing.'” quote by Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/charles-webster-hawthorne-1729_artist_chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at_3101583.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/charles-webster-hawthorne-1729_artist_chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at_3101583.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/charles-webster-hawthorne-1729_artist_chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at_3101583.jpg) > “Chase used to say, 'When you're looking at your canvas and worrying about it, try to think of your canvas as the reality and the model as the painted thing.'” [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker advises treating the canvas as reality and the painting as a representation, encouraging artists to focus on the subject rather than over‑analyzing technique. **In simple terms:** See the subject as real, the art as a model. Key Takeaway Prioritize observing reality over perfecting technique. Themes artistic perception creativity mindset Mood thoughtful educational Type philosophical instructional When to use this quote - painting practice - design thinking - visual storytelling Key Concepts representation theory visual cognition Questions to Reflect On - How does this view change your creative process? - When might focusing on the model be beneficial? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on abstraction can detach art from lived experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Canvas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canvas/) [Canvas Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canvas-reality-5377226/) [Canvas Worrying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canvas-worrying-5377227/) [Chase Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chase-used-5377229/) [Looking Canvas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-canvas-5377228/) [Models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/models/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Think Canvas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-canvas-2006014/) [Think of you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-of-you/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [“Just think of me as a canvas and you as the paint, and try and imagine that we are creating a masterpiece that’s so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-richardson/just-think-of-me-as-a-canvas-and-you-as-the-paint-and-try-and-imagine/) [Angela Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-richardson/) > [People think you can get out your canvas and paint any time you have a free moment. 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The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/think-of-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-spirit-as-the-ultimate/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [I like Dr. Daniel Amen's 18/40/60 Rule: When you're 18, you worry about what everybody is thinking of you; when you're 40, you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/i-like-dr-daniel-amen-s-18-40-60-rule-when-you-re-18-you-worry-about/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [You can get pigeonholed in Hollywood and people think of you in a certain way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-wilson/you-can-get-pigeonholed-in-hollywood-and-people-think-of-you-in-a/) [Luke Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-wilson/) > [You probably have to split yourself in various ways just in order to survive, and to think of yourself as a multitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-seshadri/you-probably-have-to-split-yourself-in-various-ways-just-in-order-to/) [Vijay Seshadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-seshadri/) > [In the name of Jerusalem. If I forget the extermination of the Jews, may my right hand wither, may my tongue stick to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menachem-begin/in-the-name-of-jerusalem-if-i-forget-the-extermination-of-the-jews/) [Menachem Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menachem-begin/) ## More by Charles Webster Hawthorne > [ It is so hard and long before a student comes to a realization that these \[first\] few large simple spots in right relations are… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/it-is-so-hard-and-long-before-a-student-comes-to-a-realization-that/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [Painting is just like making an after-dinner speech. If you want to be remembered, say one thing and stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/painting-is-just-like-making-an-after-dinner-speech-if-you-want-to-be/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [Spend a lifetime in hard work with a humble mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/spend-a-lifetime-in-hard-work-with-a-humble-mind/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [To see things simply is the hardest thing in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/to-see-things-simply-is-the-hardest-thing-in-the-world/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [Do studies, not pictures. Know when you are licked - start another. Be alive, stop when your interest is lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/do-studies-not-pictures-know-when-you-are-licked-start-another-be/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [A sketch has charm because of its truth - not because it is unfinished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/a-sketch-has-charm-because-of-its-truth-not-because-it-is-unfinished/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [Avoid distant views, paint objects close up. If the foreground is well done the distance will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/avoid-distant-views-paint-objects-close-up-if-the-foreground-is-well/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [Paint what you see, not what you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/paint-what-you-see-not-what-you-know/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [In his attempt to develop the beauty he sees, the artist develops himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/in-his-attempt-to-develop-the-beauty-he-sees-the-artist-develops/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [Try to do ugly things so that you make them beautiful... The more delicate the thing is in nature the more one must look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/try-to-do-ugly-things-so-that-you-make-them-beautiful-the-more/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [Do not let it look as if you reasoned too much. Painting must be impulsive to be worth while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/do-not-let-it-look-as-if-you-reasoned-too-much-painting-must-be/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [By having the big lines of the composition going out of the canvas, your imagination can wander beyond the edge. It will make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/by-having-the-big-lines-of-the-composition-going-out-of-the-canvas/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [Get into the habit of doing what you see, not what you know. Human reason cannot foresee the accidents of out-of-doors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/get-into-the-habit-of-doing-what-you-see-not-what-you-know-human/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [We must all teach ourselves to be fine, to be poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/we-must-all-teach-ourselves-to-be-fine-to-be-poets/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) > [The mechanics of putting one spot of color next to another, that is the fundamental thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/the-mechanics-of-putting-one-spot-of-color-next-to-another-that-is/) [Charles Webster Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) [Explore all 37 Charles Webster Hawthorne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/) ## 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. 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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": "Chase used to say, 'When you're looking at your canvas and worrying about it, try to think of your canvas as the reality and the model as the painted thing.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Webster Hawthorne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at-your-canvas-and-worrying/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at-your-canvas-and-worrying/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/charles-webster-hawthorne-1729_artist_chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at_3101583.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/charles-webster-hawthorne-1729_artist_chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at_3101583.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/charles-webster-hawthorne-1729_artist_chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at_3101583.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Chase used to say, 'When you're looking at your canvas and worrying about it, try to think of your canvas as…” — Charles Webster Hawthorne", "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": "Charles Webster Hawthorne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-webster-hawthorne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Chase used to say, 'When you're...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at-your-canvas-and-worrying/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-webster-hawthorne/chase-used-to-say-when-you-re-looking-at-your-canvas-and-worrying/#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 } } ] } ```