This painting was another of my self-painted paintings.  I only had the concept of wishing to have a mountain range start in the lower left of the painting build and build to form one large peak then have the range split.
 

One range would continue across the horizon and the other ridge would become the backbone of the main peak which winds down towards the viewer.  This ridge would then continue down to the tree line, rise up out of the valley to form one more peak before becoming a series of tree covered hills.
 

From here the painting took over.  The trees became a cohesive force bridging the gap of background to foreground via the vagueness of distant trees to their clearly defined forms of the foreground.
 

I stopped here and was inspired with the perspective of placing the viewer inside another mountain range.  To do this the trees of the foreground gave way to loose rocks, bolders and finally to the massive outcropping of the mountainside.
 

Next came the inspiration of placing a mountain climber on this face to help give it a human dimension.  The climber is in a harness and is just about to hook in another foot harness to continue his blind overhang climb.  The very last part of the painting was another outcropping of rock on the left side, so as to place the viewer inside a crevasse looking out.
 

The crevasse was done very quickly, and quite by accident I had painted a face in the top left corner.  It was angled perfectly to be looking down upon the climber.  Rather than paint over this I chose to enhance it by smoothing out the forehead and chin.
 

I then received the impression the face was protectively watching over the climber.  The title "Silent Guardian" was chosen for it immediately told the story of the mountain silently watching the mountain climber, climb the mountain.
 

Many people have stated to me while looking at this picture "That is how I feel, that is me right now, climbing my way to the top".
 

Upon reflection I see this painting as saying life is like a mountain we climb, sometimes we are unaware of what is in store for us, at times we are tested to our very limits, yet we are never truly alone.  Even in our most trying times there is a Presence watching over us, (mostly unseen) and is by Its very existence giving us guidance throughout our lives.