Don Hamilton’s art reflects his environment. The subjects he chooses to paint reveal his life and experiences wherever he roams, and in particular, the West. Although captivated and inspired by the grand vista, he is more likely drawn to the intimate scenes, those that people pass by every day with little thought. He loves to take those everyday experiences and make a statement that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Like the way snow covers a hillside, or the patterns formed by a field irrigated by spring rains. Anything in his daily life is fair game and an ultimate subject.He sees art as an intimate language. It is of paramount importance to him to capture the essence of emotion the subject conveys, not just a well-documented rendering of a scene. He focuses on light as the vehicle, moving the viewer through the image and transporting them to that special moment, defining the large shapes in the landscape rather than small details. Ironically, he needs to understand the details and make decisions, conscious and unconscious, about what to leave in and what to remove. When struggling with a piece, he looks for what to remove rather than to add. Simple is often better.