Painter Chris Cook hopes to make the world a more beautiful place with his pastels – and now they’re gracing the walls of the Mancos Public Library.

Cook, an artist based in Farmington, focuses largely on landscapes in his work. He hopes that viewers will come away with an enjoyment of art, and perhaps that his paintings will inspire a younger generation to pursue artistic endeavors.

“I’m just always in awe of the beauty of nature, and it’s all around us,” Cook said. “Just seems like every time I turn around there’s something else beautiful to look at.”

His affinity for landscape artwork was influenced by his family’s relocation from Chicago to Bluff, Utah, at the age of 9.

“For a 9-year-old, that was great because it was just like being turned loose,” Cook said.

He’s been drawn to art since his youth, he said.

“I’ve been involved in art to one degree or another all my life,” he said. “From the time I was just a little kid, 4 or 5 years old, I’ve always liked art and people have noticed what I do.”

After a two-year tour with the U.S. Marines, Cook earned a degree in business administration, and began to draw once more. After trying out a set of pastels in 2000, he immediately leapt onto the medium, and that has been his style of choice ever since.

He moved to Farmington about four years ago, and has been painting full time there ever since. His studio is called Artifact’s Gallery.

The exhibit has been up at the Mancos library since the end of October, and it will remain up through mid-November or early December.

ealvero@the-journal.com