A beautiful shape is beautiful wherever you find it. You might find it in nature, like the curve of a mountain, or it might be a peculiar angle you notice. Wherever they are, these shapes are alluring and invite us to closer observation. But they seem shy and afraid to draw too much attention. They long to be coaxed out of hiding.

The curve on the left of the large shape in this painting is one of those shapes. It is the curve of a mountain in the Rocky Mountains I once saw on a train. This one shape was the inspiration for the drawings that led to this painting. Making art is my way to express how I see what I see in the world. We each have our own visual perspective, our own point of view. In creating drawings or paintings, I hope to take the angles, shapes and colors that appear beautiful to me and reveal what makes them appealing.

This was the first sketch:

After the initial sketch I started another sketch to focus on the shape that drew me to the scene. I began to imagine the shape as part of a room. The result was a loose perspective drawing that combines exterior and interior space. Then came an examination of how light and color is reflected in the shapes. Drawing decisions were based on aesthetics, but faithfully reflect my impression of the original scene.

Here is my next drawing:

Once this was done I started to paint on paper. At this point I refined my shapes, proportion, scale and colors. I then wanted to see how this image would look on canvas.

Here are my first two paintings:

My final step was to transfer the image to canvas. These works are a personal examination of what has and has not changed in my appreciation of what is beautiful over the years. I want to observe what has remained beautiful to me and try to express my experience of viewing it.