Sean Scully Quotes

I don't paint to live, I live to paint.

But where there is no art show, I would still be painting.

I originally just wanted to be an artist.

There were a million different things I could have chosen or wanted to do, but the path of an artist was the one that pulled me the most.

No one really had to encourage me to become an artist; it was just something I knew I had to do. I was drawn to things that seemed impossible.

Only be an artist if you have no choice!

Me wanting to be an artist never really faded away. I knew that no matter what else I tried to pursue, my passion was always that.

I never thought about doing anything other than making art.

I always wanted to be an artist, whatever that was, like other chicks want to be stewardesses. I read. I painted. I thought.

I decided on the spot that I would be an artist, and I assure you, it was no ordinary artist I had in mind.

I hate to sound like a romantic adolescent, but I believe artists don't generally see art as a career choice; they simply can't overcome their desire to make art, and will live on little income for as long as they have to, before they start to sell their work - or give up and get a paying job.

I want to see where and how far I can go as an artist. I look back and see what I've done, and I want to do as much as I can in my lifetime. I love doing it. If I didn't have that passion or love for it, I wouldn't do it.

At art college, I started to do music and then painting and drawing - and that would have been my ideal life, to be an artist and be paid for it, to be able to create stuff. I realized it was difficult, but I don't know if I had the application for it.

It's the strong will of an artist that really inspires me.

When it comes to art, you just need to be focused on doing a great thing. Not thinking all about the business.

I had two great art teachers at school, but even they tried to tell me it was too hard a world. But that made being an artist even more attractive.

That's the difference between the serious artist and the craftsman--the craftsman can take material and because of his abilities do a professional job of it. The serious artist, like Proust, is like an object caught by a wave and swept to shore. He's obsessed by his material; it's like a venom working in his blood and the art is the antidote.

There's only one reason for my whole life, and that's art. Nothing else counts; nothing else gives me pleasure; nothing else gives me satisfaction.

I liked drawing and painting, because the only failure would be to listen to the doubters who wanted me to stop drawing and painting because 'you aren't going to make a living doing that.' I liked looking in art books at the work of painters.

The painter's obsession with his subject is all that he needs to drive him to work.

That's the motivation of an artist - to seek attention of some kind.

One day I would like to have my own art show.

I came to New York to be a fine artist - that was my ambition.

I'm not looking to be an artist to make money. I'm looking to be an artist.

I may not be much good at most things, but if I didn't have the pleasure of planning and installing shows, and doing it better than anyone else, I would have stopped buying art many years ago.