Slide Show

Almost every Monday for more than 30 years, Lester’s “students” gathered with him to draw and paint. He often wrote something thought provoking with a black felt tip marker on a piece of mat board for these artists to consider. Many of them are copied here. Some are his original thoughts and some are not. The author’s name is included when it was written on the mat board. Those with no attribution may be Lester’s own thoughts – or not! These quotes were transcribed from the original pieces of mat board by his dear friend, Becky Dietrich, who painted with Lester all those years.

Reliance on one’s own judgment is the best way.
You will excel only in what you practice.
If you practice only what you learn from others ---who will you be?
--Stone
----------------

ABANDON immediately, completely AND FOREVER
any idea that you must have a TEACHER.
----------------

The beauty we seek exists only in the mind: the eye never beheld it,
nor has the hand expressed it.
It is an idea existing in the breast of the ARTIST. which he labors to impart and
which HE dies at last without imparting.....BUT which he is YET so far able to communicate as to raise the thoughts and extend the views of spectators.
--Reynolds
----------------

The source of your inspiration for a painting is not of any importance
if what YOU DO is accepted and LOVED.
----------------

CRITICS: A critic’s opinion about a painting describes more
about his own nature than that of the painter.
----------------

The mental development of an individual and his way of
forming concepts depend to a high degree upon language.
--Einstein
----------------

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SITTER.
You cannot paint something if you don’t know what it looks like!
----------------

Distances across the canvas are generally very nearly correct,
but distances in, following the line of vision, hardly exist.
It is a question to solve.
--Henri
----------------

The good things grow better.
There is always a new surprise each time you look at them.
--R.Henri
----------------

I can build a boat...with my own hands!...every stick of it!
Except for those wonderful things which God does when he creates
the materials which I use,-----and God also created my hands--
my hands are His hands, and my work is His work.
----------------

Why do we like the sea?
It is because it has some potent power to make us think the things we like to think!
--Henri
----------------

As soon as a painter begins to write about pictures, or talk about
his IMPRESSIONS, you may be quite certain that he will not have emotion
enough for his own work. He is like a boiling kettle, the steam from which
makes much ADO while evaporating. A critic is made by talk;
a painter by silence and energetic practice ---
--Shaw-Sparrow
----------------

There are many dangers in LIFE-SCHOOLS--the prizewinners seldom
do anything first-rate in after years---those who bore up under defeats
in the schools were the lucky fellows because
they gained HABITS OF PERSISTENT WORK.
--Shaw-Sparrow
----------------

TECHNIQUE: Do everything in your power to avoid developing a TECHNIQUE!
-- Stone
----------------

Representation in Art is an activity of the associative and synthetic
energies of the mind over which the artist has partial but not
entire CONTROL -- whatever control he has over his mind,
it is exercised by the HEART.....
Remember this!
-- Stone
----------------

BEAUTY needs no justification!
or
How would you explain a Rose?
----------------

MY PAINTINGS ARE THE BEST! No other can equal them!
-----Your opinion notwithstanding ----
--Stone
----------------

Maudie liked her marzipan
She ate it with her soup
Now she’s forty ‘round her middle
And sixty ‘round her poop!
--________
----------------

You cannot lead a Calvary charge if you think you look funny riding a horse!
----------------

Hardly anything is as important as a person’s genuine interest.
----------------

The opportunity to do something great occurs only seldom --
and then always before you have learned how to do it.
The chance will neither wait nor recur and must be taken when presented.
--Stone
----------------

ON THE LIMITS OF LANGUAGE
“Out of sight - out of mind” translated into Chinese is:
translated into English is: “invisible idiot”
----------------

DRAW as CAREFULLY as you CAN!
but PAINT with your HEART!
------------

Relative to ART.....
YOUR art will evolve from what you LIKE
and what you like in art will evolve from your PRACTICE of your art.
-------------

ONLY your own personal thoughts and discoveries are VALID! All else is hearsay!
--Stone
----------------

The beauty we acknowledge in a picture is not necessarily
connected with the physical PERFECTION of the sitter....
--Furst
----------------

You may think your painting represents the scene you had in mind.
It does not.
It represents you, the artist...
----------------

Neither accuracy of drawing - nor beauty or truth of coloring -
constitute the end and fulfillment of painting.
---which requires a third quality -- sometimes NEGLECTED, and
THAT IS DESIGNING or the ART OF FILLING SPACES.
--------------

On Remembering the Struggle
...If you “make it” it was fun getting there.
...BUT if you don’t “make it” --- then perhaps it wasn’t so much fun after all.....!
----------------

What is “QUALITY” in a painting?
It is whatever it is in the painting that YOU LIKE.
----------------

Have you noticed -- that when you lose an article a SECOND time -
you must, in order to find it, repeat your first search pattern?
----------------

An unexcited ARTIST WILL NOT PAINT AN EXCITING PAINTING!
----------------

OLD AGE IS NOT FOR SISSIES!
----------------

A painting is ALWAYS IMPERFECT
and ALWAYS INCOMPLETE
-Les
------------

On the Recognition of Beauty----
The comforting thing about a beautiful painting is that the
artist has gone to so much effort to show you he agrees with you.
---------------

Fear not the influence of others on your work.
You did not originate art.
Very little of what you know was gained at first hand.
You have come this far on a road built by others.
You may improve or change it a little, but there is no other road.
--------------

Don’t wait until you are ready---GO!
------------------

The pain and uncertainty you feel in striving to do something fine
is the most natural, the most healthy, and in the end
the most satisfying experience you can have.
----------------

Happiness comes not from being entertained but from accomplishment.
-----------------

Happiness comes not from being loved, but from loving.
-------------

Ambition
No man yearns for what he already has.
-------------

Genius
Genius is aware only of the hard work of the challenge of things not yet done.
-------------

CHARM in a painting, as in other things, is arrived at more thru the HEART!
----------------


Almost every Monday for more than 30 years, Lester’s “students” gathered with him to draw and paint. He often wrote something thought provoking with a black felt tip marker on a piece of mat board for these artists to consider. Many of them are copied here. Some are his original thoughts and some are not. The author’s name is included when it was written on the mat board. Those with no attribution may be Lester’s own thoughts – or not! These quotes were transcribed from the original pieces of mat board by his dear friend, Becky Dietrich, who painted with Lester all those years. Reliance on one’s own judgment is the best way. You will excel only in what you practice. If you practice only what you learn from others ---who will you be? --Stone ---------------- ABANDON immediately, completely AND FOREVER any idea that you must have a TEACHER. ---------------- The beauty we seek exists only in the mind: the eye never beheld it, nor has the hand expressed it. It is an idea existing in the breast of the ARTIST. which he labors to impart and which HE dies at last without imparting.....BUT which he is YET so far able to communicate as to raise the thoughts and extend the views of spectators. --Reynolds ---------------- The source of your inspiration for a painting is not of any importance if what YOU DO is accepted and LOVED. ---------------- CRITICS: A critic’s opinion about a painting describes more about his own nature than that of the painter. ---------------- The mental development of an individual and his way of forming concepts depend to a high degree upon language. --Einstein ---------------- PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SITTER. You cannot paint something if you don’t know what it looks like! ---------------- Distances across the canvas are generally very nearly correct, but distances in, following the line of vision, hardly exist. It is a question to solve. --Henri ---------------- The good things grow better. There is always a new surprise each time you look at them. --R.Henri ---------------- I can build a boat...with my own hands!...every stick of it! Except for those wonderful things which God does when he creates the materials which I use,-----and God also created my hands-- my hands are His hands, and my work is His work. ---------------- Why do we like the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think the things we like to think! --Henri ---------------- As soon as a painter begins to write about pictures, or talk about his IMPRESSIONS, you may be quite certain that he will not have emotion enough for his own work. He is like a boiling kettle, the steam from which makes much ADO while evaporating. A critic is made by talk; a painter by silence and energetic practice --- --Shaw-Sparrow ---------------- There are many dangers in LIFE-SCHOOLS--the prizewinners seldom do anything first-rate in after years---those who bore up under defeats in the schools were the lucky fellows because they gained HABITS OF PERSISTENT WORK. --Shaw-Sparrow ---------------- TECHNIQUE: Do everything in your power to avoid developing a TECHNIQUE! -- Stone ---------------- Representation in Art is an activity of the associative and synthetic energies of the mind over which the artist has partial but not entire CONTROL -- whatever control he has over his mind, it is exercised by the HEART..... Remember this! -- Stone ---------------- BEAUTY needs no justification! or How would you explain a Rose? ---------------- MY PAINTINGS ARE THE BEST! No other can equal them! -----Your opinion notwithstanding ---- --Stone ---------------- Maudie liked her marzipan She ate it with her soup Now she’s forty ‘round her middle And sixty ‘round her poop! --________ ---------------- You cannot lead a Calvary charge if you think you look funny riding a horse! ---------------- Hardly anything is as important as a person’s genuine interest. ---------------- The opportunity to do something great occurs only seldom -- and then always before you have learned how to do it. The chance will neither wait nor recur and must be taken when presented. --Stone ---------------- ON THE LIMITS OF LANGUAGE “Out of sight - out of mind” translated into Chinese is: translated into English is: “invisible idiot” ---------------- DRAW as CAREFULLY as you CAN! but PAINT with your HEART! ------------ Relative to ART..... YOUR art will evolve from what you LIKE and what you like in art will evolve from your PRACTICE of your art. ------------- ONLY your own personal thoughts and discoveries are VALID! All else is hearsay! --Stone ---------------- The beauty we acknowledge in a picture is not necessarily connected with the physical PERFECTION of the sitter.... --Furst ---------------- You may think your painting represents the scene you had in mind. It does not. It represents you, the artist... ---------------- Neither accuracy of drawing - nor beauty or truth of coloring - constitute the end and fulfillment of painting. ---which requires a third quality -- sometimes NEGLECTED, and THAT IS DESIGNING or the ART OF FILLING SPACES. -------------- On Remembering the Struggle ...If you “make it” it was fun getting there. ...BUT if you don’t “make it” --- then perhaps it wasn’t so much fun after all.....! ---------------- What is “QUALITY” in a painting? It is whatever it is in the painting that YOU LIKE. ---------------- Have you noticed -- that when you lose an article a SECOND time - you must, in order to find it, repeat your first search pattern? ---------------- An unexcited ARTIST WILL NOT PAINT AN EXCITING PAINTING! ---------------- OLD AGE IS NOT FOR SISSIES! ---------------- A painting is ALWAYS IMPERFECT and ALWAYS INCOMPLETE -Les ------------ On the Recognition of Beauty---- The comforting thing about a beautiful painting is that the artist has gone to so much effort to show you he agrees with you. --------------- Fear not the influence of others on your work. You did not originate art. Very little of what you know was gained at first hand. You have come this far on a road built by others. You may improve or change it a little, but there is no other road. -------------- Don’t wait until you are ready---GO! ------------------ The pain and uncertainty you feel in striving to do something fine is the most natural, the most healthy, and in the end the most satisfying experience you can have. ---------------- Happiness comes not from being entertained but from accomplishment. ----------------- Happiness comes not from being loved, but from loving. ------------- Ambition No man yearns for what he already has. ------------- Genius Genius is aware only of the hard work of the challenge of things not yet done. ------------- CHARM in a painting, as in other things, is arrived at more thru the HEART! ----------------
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