Inspired by a drawing of a mother and child, Study in Arcs metamorphosed into a less specific image as it took form. Comprising nine long and two short arcs of steel, gathered from Smith’s stockpile and welded together, the sculpture resembles a drawing in space. The ample negative space integrates the outside world into the work, making it vital to the whole. Smith initially composed Study in Arcs on the studio floor, which enabled him to experiment with the composition in two dimensions. The flat arrangement was then raised up and projected into three dimensions with the addition of extending arcs. The work’s pale pink color contrasts boldly with the natural surroundings. Smith never abandoned his identity as a painter and rejected the notion—prevalent at the time—that the two mediums should be strictly separate. Color remained an important part of Smith’s sculptural practice through the end of his career.