Henri Matisse

"What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter - a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue."

"Drawing is like making an expressive gesture with the advantage of permanence."

"Exactitude is not truth."

"With color one obtains an energy that seems to stem from witchcraft."

"A picture must possess a real power to generate light and for a long time now I've been conscious of expressing myself through light or rather in light."

"An artist must never be a prisoner. Prisoner? An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc."

"Creativity takes courage."

"He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back."

"In love, the one who runs away is the winner."

"It is only after years of preparation that the young artist should touch color - not color used descriptively, that is, but as a means of personal expression."

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them."