Robertson Davies Quotes

I doubt Picasso ever painted a picture in an hour, he took his time, looked at every detail and made sure it was perfect.

Because I write very simply, but inside the simplicity, there's a lot of subtlety. That's what I'm proud of.

I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes an art.

Whatever I do, whether it's cooking shows, books or events, the details count and that's what sets me apart from other food TV personalities. If you take out the details what's left?

A journalist uses the most precise words he or she can. An artist does the same sort of thing. You gather material about a particular subject, you refine it as best you can.

The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is.

For a creative writer possession of the 'truth' is less important than emotional sincerity.

As writers, it is our job not only to imagine, but to witness.

For me, style is essentially doing things well. If you want to be outrageous, be outrageous with style. If you want to be restrained, be restrained with style. One can't specifically define style. It's like the perfume to a flower. It's a quality you can't analyze.

I love fashion, beauty, glamour. It's the mark of civilisation.

God is in the details.

Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit of experience and the last effort of genius.

Mark Twain said, 'The right word is to the nearly right word as lightning is to the lightning bug.' Fill your book with lightning.

I really believe in myself. I'm the hardest worker I know, and one of the best songwriters. There's a craft to it, and it takes a long time to hone it, and I work really hard at it.

What is fashion? It's discipline. Discipline and a credo to do only the best, down to the smallest detail.

Men have got more of a discerning eye. They appreciate cut and details, things that aren't so obvious. They like things that have cachet and gentlemanliness.

It's hard to shape glass. It took me years of practice, and as a result, I've never gotten bored with it. It's difficult. Every time I come into the studio, I've got some sort of new challenge. And something that I would like to learn how to do better, and the material never disappoints me.

It is most necessary to avoid rusticity in any way, whether in material, design, or execution.

Art is beauty, the perpetual invention of detail, the choice of words, the exquisite care of execution.

Italian style is a natural attitude. It is about a life of good taste. It doesn't have to be expensive. Simple but with good taste. Luxury is possible to buy. Good taste is not.

I don't know if people realize how hard I work, because sometimes people ask me for my secret. The truth is that I don't have any secrets apart from the fact that I've been directing theater and film for twenty years and trying at every stage to make my work better.

Technique is the test of sincerity. If a thing isn't worth getting the technique to say, it is of inferior value.

I am not interested in shock tactics. I just want to make beautiful clothes.

Art is all in the details.

People wish to be poets more than they wish to write poetry, and that's a mistake. One should wish to celebrate more than one wishes to be celebrated.