As I turn 91 this June 8th…– LeRoy Neiman
As I turn 91 this June 8th, I have to admit my hours at the easel have diminished.
The big shock of my life was Abstract …– LeRoy Neiman
The big shock of my life was Abstract Expressionism – Pollock, de Kooning, those guys. It changed my work. I was an academically trained student, and suddenly you could pour paint, smear it on, broom it on!
Playboy’ made the good life a reality for me and …– LeRoy Neiman
Playboy’ made the good life a reality for me and made it the subject matter of my paintings – not affluence and luxury as such, but joie de vivre itself.
I have always said to young artists that …– LeRoy Neiman
I have always said to young artists that scholastic training and the studying of art history are crucial to fully developing as an artist.
There’s no greatest moment in the arts…– LeRoy Neiman
There’s no greatest moment in the arts. It’s a life, it’s a continuity thing. You can’t have a great moment because it’s spiritual. It’s a belief, it’s a calling. If you’re an artist, doing your own thing on your own, it’s while you’re doing it that counts. It’s a process. If you get too elated, […]
Eating is one of the great beauties in life…– LeRoy Neiman
Eating is one of the great beauties in life. One of my favorite recreations… eating with friends, the service, the ambience.
I’ve got the public…– LeRoy Neiman
I’ve got the public. I don’t care about the critics. I did at one time. I don’t any more. I did when I needed compliments. But if you get a lot of compliments, you don’t need a critic to tell you, ‘This should be done another way.’
I’ve met and sketched most of the great athletes …– LeRoy Neiman
I’ve met and sketched most of the great athletes from the past five decades and their movement, grace and energy have kept me captivated over the years. That’s what the ancient Greeks first saw and that’s what caught my interest.
I always stayed in tune with my own ambitions and …– LeRoy Neiman
I always stayed in tune with my own ambitions and attitudes and I’m still my intractable old self, for better or worse.
Some people try to paint in my style…– LeRoy Neiman
Some people try to paint in my style. Some simply sell pirated copies of my work. Some claim to be my publisher or agent or even my exclusive representative, when they are not.