As one of the most famous artists of his generation, Pablo Picasso had a lot to say about art. Here are a few Picasso quotes about art, painting and artists that I thought you might enjoy.

Picasso Quotes About Art:

“Everyone wants to understand art. Why not try to understand the song of a bird? Why does one love the night, flowers, everything around one, without trying to understand them? But in the case of a painting people have to understand. If only they would realize above all that an artist works of necessity, that he himself is only a trifling bit of the world, and that no more importance should be attached to him than to plenty of other things which please us in the world, though we can’t explain them. People who try to explain pictures are usually barking up the wrong tree.”

And …

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

And …

“Bad artists copy. Good artists steal.”

And …

“We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies.”

And …

“The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.”

And …

“The artist is a receptacle for emotions derived from anywhere: from the sky, from the earth, from a piece of paper, from a passing figure, from a spider’s web.”

And …

“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.”

Go here to find more Picasso quotes about art.

Do you have a favorite quote?

The last one resonates with me. Writing, I would say, is just another way of keeping a journal. Even if I write about characters that are nothing like myself, there I am again and again. Why? Because writing is always about something that interests the writer. Otherwise, why would we keep writing?

So if you read my books, you can tell that I am fascinated and inspired by ordinary people (or characters) who have something extraordinary happen in their lives that makes them become heroic. Courage interests me, as do secrets and people overcoming hard circumstances in order to lead more fulfilling lives. This is what keeps me writing.

If you are interested in what I write about, go here to find out more about my books.