The greater the artist, the greater is his skill in making an image appear as it does in real life. He does so by imbuing a feeling of life in that which, on its own, possesses no life (i.e., the canvas).

So it is with G‑d, [the ultimate “Artist”]. He created a world that seems like a self-sufficient entity (like the canvas above). In reality, however, its entire existence, the “feeling of life,” is derived from the Divine life-force that sustains its every moment.

Otzar Pisgamei Chabad, Vol. 1, p. 276