My primary goal is to create paintings that are beautiful: art that provides a place to rest one’s eye and have the soul lifted through a combination of color and composition. But my finest paintings are those that go beyond beautiful. These are works that evoke a certain mood or feeling-primarily, a sense of peace and calm resulting from solitude. This is not to be confused with isolation which brings with it loneliness and discomfort. I want viewers to feel quiet, calm, and pleasantly alone within a painting: the picture frame marking a place that through the eye, even if only for a passing moment, one can slow down the pace of life and quiet the din of the day to day routine. For me, this is a successful painting. While my paintings are inspired by nature, I have no problem manipulating color and form if I feel it will make a better painting. In terms of subject, I enjoy depicting architecture in my work for the structures provide opportunities to communicate the full effects of light. Considering technique, I enjoy letting the paint build up on my canvases so that there is a visible brushstroke. It is my opinion that the appearance of the artist’s hand on the surface allows the viewer to have a more personal encounter with the artist and his creative process. I always paint for me. But the beauty of the art is the possibility of elevating the spirits of others as well. —Michael P. Stehr