I've been working so hard that I'm exhausted... I feel I won't be able to do without a few weeks' rest, so I'm going off to see the sea. Claude Monet More Quotes by Claude Monet More Quotes From Claude Monet The Thames was all gold. God it was beautiful, so fine that I began working a frenzy, following the sun and its reflections on the water. Claude Monet reflection beautiful water It's enough to drive you crazy, trying to depict the weather, the atmosphere, the ambience. Claude Monet atmosphere crazy weather I never draw except with brush and paint. Claude Monet brushes drawing paint I've only myself to blame for it, my impotence most of all and my weakness. If I do any good work now it will be only by chance. Claude Monet blame weakness chance These landscapes of water and reflections have become an obsession. It's quite beyond my powers at my age, and yet I want to succeed in expressing what I feel. Claude Monet reflection age water Never, even as a child, would I bend to a rule. Claude Monet children While adding the finishing touches to a painting might appear insignificant, it is much harder to do than one might suppose. Claude Monet finishing painting might Take clear water with grass waving at the bottom. It's wonderful to look at, but to try to paint it is enough to make one insane. Claude Monet insane trying water The effect of sincerity is to give one's work the character of a protest. The painter, being concerned only with conveying his impression, simply seeks to be himself and no one else. Claude Monet sincerity giving character Gardening was something I learned in my youth when I was unhappy. I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. Claude Monet garden flower unhappy One day I am satisfied, the next day I find it all bad; still I hope that some day I will find some of them good. Claude Monet next-day one-day goodness I am enslaved to my work, always wanting the impossible, and never, I believe, have I been less favoured by the endlessly changeable weather. Claude Monet impossible weather believe I would love to do orange and lemon trees silhouetted against the blue sea, but I cannot find them the way I want them. Claude Monet orange sea blue I'm getting so slow at my work it makes me despair, but... I'm increasingly obsessed by the need to render what I experience, and I'm praying that I'll have a few more good years left to me. Claude Monet despair years needs I still have a lot of pleasure doing them, but as time goes by I come to appreciate more clearly which paintings are good and which should be discarded. Claude Monet painting appreciate pleasure I do what I can to convey what I experience before nature and most often, in order to succeed in conveying what I feel, I totally forget the most elementary rules of painting, if they exist that is. Claude Monet painting succeed order It would be asking too much to want to sell only to connoisseurs - that way starvation lies. Claude Monet asking would-be lying It would be a very bad idea... to exhibit even a small number of this new series, as the whole effect can only be achieved from an exhibition of the entire group. Claude Monet groups numbers ideas No one but myself knows the anxiety I go through and the trouble I give myself to finish paintings which do not satisfy me and seem to please so very few others. Claude Monet painting anxiety giving It really is appallingly difficult to do something which is complete in every respect, and I think most people are content with mere approximations. Well, my dear friend, I intend to battle on, scrape off and start again. Claude Monet battle people thinking
