Contemporary American artist Peter Adams is esteemed for his beautiful Impressionist paintings. He uses oil paints to create vivid landscapes and figurative works that saturate the canvas with color. Adams is known for combining the Western artistic tradition with Eastern influences picked up from his extensive travels.
Adams was born and raised in California. He studied at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California; the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles; the Instituto de Bellas Artes in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; and the Lukits Academy of Fine Arts in Los Angeles.
Four of Adams’s seven years at the Luktis Academy were spent as an apprentice to Theodore Lukits, a renowned Impressionist painter. He was also introduced to Chinese porcelains and sculptures, which sparked an interest in Asian art that spurred him to travel. In 1981, he traveled and painted unescorted through the People’s Republic of China, becoming the first American artist to do so. He was also the only American artist to travel with the mujahideen rebels of Afghanistan in 1987.
Adams became the president of the California Art Club in 1993, a role he has served in ever since. Established in 1909, the organization only had 80 members at the time. Under his leadership, the membership has grown to around 3,000.
In 2007, he earned the John J. Geraghty Award for advancing traditional fine art as well as the gold medal for the best painting from his fellow members at the California Art Club. In 2009, Fine Art Connoisseur presented Adams with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Adams is represented by American Legacy Fine Arts in Pasadena. His works are in the collections of the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard, California; the Haggin Museum in Stockton, California; the USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, California; and Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Peter Adams’s paintings.
Going Home; Tehachapi, California
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Peter Adams" on lower right UNFRAMED: 20" x 24" FRAMED: 26.75" x 30.75" x 1.75" Artist Statement "The last rays of the su...
Oil, Panel
Parting Mist; Kalalau Lookout, Kauai
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Artist Statement "Painting in Hawaii is always a challenge because the weather and atmospheric conditions are constantly changing. This scene of the Kalalau Lookout had it been paint...
Oil, Panel
Pools of Hahamongna; Arroyo Seco
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist. UNFRAMED: 30" x 40" FRAMED: 39" x 48.5" x 3" Artist Statement “For this large painting I did a number of preparatory ...
Oil, Panel
Sierra Grandeur; 5th Lake View of Mt. Robinson and Palisade Glacier
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by a Private Collector, Encino, California from American Legacy Fine Arts in 2005 American Legacy Fine Arts acquired the work directly from the artist in 2004 Si...
Oil, Panel
Quiet Pool; Arroyo Seco
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist UNFRAMED: 12" x 16" FRAMED: 18.5" x 22.5" x 1.5" Exhibited The Diverse Environments of the Arroyo Seco: Paintings from the Californ...
Oil, Panel
Towering Cumulus at Day’s End, Oceanside, CA
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist; January 2024 submitted to Autry Museum of the American West for the "Masters of the American West" exhibition and sale. Signed "Pet...
Oil, Panel
Peaceful Passage; Batiquitos Lagoon, Carlsbad, California
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Peter Adams" on lower right. Description Peter Adams' flare for combining real places with dreamlike visions is ...
Panel, Oil
Afternoon Glow; Kern River
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed 'Peter Adams" on lower right UNFRAMED: 12" x 9" FRAMED: 18.875" x 15.875" x 1.75" Exhibited Spring into Art 2024, presente...
Oil, Panel
Commerce along the Pearl River
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Exhibited China's Crown Jewel; Recent Paintings by American Artists, American Legacy Fine Arts, June 21 – July 28, 2019 ...
Oil, Panel
$4,900
Christmas Eve at City Hall from the Terri and Jerry Kohl Stairway, Dorothy Chand
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist UNFRAMED: 18" x 16" FRAMED: 24.5" x 22.5" x 1.5" Signed: "Peter Adams" on lower left Exhibited Downtown Impressions: Plein Air Pe...
Oil, Panel
Towering Cumulus at Day’s End, Oceanside, CA
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist; January 2024 submitted to Autry Museum of the American West for the "Masters of the American West" exhibition and sale. Signed "Pet...
Oil, Panel
Quiet Pools above Sturtevant Falls; Angeles Crest Forest
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist UNFRAMED: 20" x 16" FRAMED: 27" x 23" x 3" Signed "Peter Adams" on lower right
Oil, Panel
Afternoon Glow, Cathedral Cove, Anacapa Island
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Peter Adams" on lower right Description This plein air oil painting depicts the uniqueness of Anacapa Island in the chain of Southern California’s Channel Islands archipelago. Anacapa was formed by volcanic eruptions. Its desolate landscape is dominated by a distinct geology of steep precipices and jagged rock formations. From this elevated viewpoint, Adams portrays the location known as Cathedral Cove with its outcropping spires and massive kelp beds that hug the shoreline. The peak of the middle island of Anacapa is visible in the distance, and further out to sea is Santa Cruz Island...
Oil, Panel, Linen
Afternoon at Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos, California
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Peter Adams" on lower right Exhibited Fleeting Moments 2nd Biennale: Works en Plein Air, American Legacy Fine Ar...
Oil, Panel
Morning Clouds Hovering Below Mount Blanca; Trinchera Ranch, Colorado
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Artist Statement "While staying at the Forbes' Trinchera Ranch in southern Colorado, I was intrigued by seeing this heavy cloud layer every morning hovering below Mt. Blanca's impressive peak of 14,351 feet. The cloud layer created an atmospheric division between the cool shadows below and the bright, warm light above." ―Peter Adams Description The artist's particular bold, broad brushwork magnifies a sense of epic in this pristine scene. The painting exemplifies the American West as an expansive land of free spirit and boundless possibilities. The colors are opulent and there is an intriguing sense of mystery about the subject, a Shangri-la feeling. The presentation of the painting makes a grand entrance statement. Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Gallery Note The artist began the painting in 2006 and completed it in November of 2017. Exhibited Maxwell House...
Oil, Wood Panel
Golden Cove Breakers; Rancho Palos Verdes
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist. Signed "Peter Adams" on lower right. Artist Statement “At the time of big surf in the late afternoon, it is wonderful t...
Oil Pastel
Quiet Pools above Sturtevant Falls; Angeles Crest Forest
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Peter Adams" on lower right UNFRAMED: 20" x 16" FRAMED: 27" x 23" x 3" Exhibited The Diverse Environments of the Arroyo S...
Oil, Panel
Windy Afternoon at Leo Carrillo Beach
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Peter Adams" on lower left UNFRAMED: 16" x 20" FRAMED: 25.5" x 29.5" x 1.75" Exhibited A Journey Along the California Coa...
Oil, Panel
Brilliant Reflections; Rocky Point, Carmel, California
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Peter Adams" on lower right Artist Statement "While on a recent painting trip along the 101 Highway to Carmel I stopped twice to paint at one of my favorite spots, Rocky...
Oil, Panel
Pastoral Morning; Redding
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired directly from the Artist by the gallery Signed "Peter Adams" on the bottom right Description While a guest on a private ranch in Redding, California artist Pete...
Pastel
Philosophers' Wall; Shasta Caves
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Artist Statement "As I am fascinated with lighting, I often carry colored lights with me when I paint in order to illuminate scenes. This work was pain...
Oil, Panel
Faithful; St. Malo Beach, Oceanside
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Artist Statement “I am particularly interested in unique lighting effects and how these effects reflect, refract, diffuse...
Pastel
Fallen Trees; Strawberry Peak
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist Signed "Peter Adams" on lower left UNFRAMED: 20" x 16" FRAMED: 27" x 23" x 2.5" Exhibited "The Diverse Environments of the Arroyo...
Oil
$4,500
H 9 in W 12 in D 0.5 in
"Trumans Beach, East Marion 06.06.2022" contemporary impressionist seascape, oil
By Nelson H. White
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Trumans Beach, East Marion 06.06.2022" is an almost-abstract palette knife landscape painting of a beach and beach shrubs. Off in the distance is a little white triangle of paint to emulate a sailboat...
Canvas, Oil, Panel
$700
H 14 in W 14 in
"Eastern Plains of Colorado" By Sparky LeBold, Colorado Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Eastern Plains of Colorado" by Sparky LeBold (US and Portugal based) is a beautiful handmade oil painting that depicts a view of the vast green plains of Colorado, with the famed su...
Oil, Panel
$3,450
H 18 in W 24 in
19th Century French Impressionist Harbor scene with fishing boats and people
Located in Woodbury, CT
Henri Pearson (French, 19th Century) Harbour Scene with Fishing Boats and Figures on the Shore Oil on wood panel, circa 1880–1890 This evocative harbour scene by the French painter H...
Oil, Wood Panel
"En Provence" Raymond Allègre (1857-1933)
By Allegre Raymond
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"En Provence" Raymond Allègre (France, 1857-1933) Circa 1900 Oil on wood panel Signed lower left, countersigned and titled on the back 13 1/2 x 9 (30 3/4 x 25 1/8 frame) inches It'...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,920Sale Price|20% Off
H 4 in W 11 in
"Jamaican Scene 03.30.2021" contemporary abstract landscape oil painting, framed
By Nelson H. White
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Jamaican Scene 03.30.2021" by Nelson H. White, is an abstraction of a landscape in Jamaica. One can see the suggestion of natural light peeking through the loose rendering of trees....
Oil, Panel
The Finale
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original oil painting on panel by artist Seth Winegar. Framed.
Oil, Panel
$11,500
H 8.25 in W 16.25 in D 0.13 in
'Rivière de Mon Paix', Pair of Fine French Impressionist Oils, Musée d'Orsay
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
'Rivière de Mon Paix' by Raoul André Ulmann. Pair of Fine French Impressionist Oils, Musée d'Orsay, Luxembourg Museum. Sold as a pair. --- Raoul André Ulmann (French, 1867-1941) E...
Oil, Panel
$2,566
H 11.82 in W 9.85 in D 1.97 in
Galerie Vivienne, Paris - 21st Century Hyper Realistic oil painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Roos van der Meijden Galerie Vivienne, Paris 30 x 25 cm ( framed 38 x 33 cm, frame is included in price ) Acrylic on canvas Dutch artist Roos van der Meijden is famous because of he...
Oil, Panel, Wood Panel
$700
H 8 in W 6 in D 1 in
Moonset Palm Rockport Texas Wind Blue Sky Waning Moon Oil Impressionism 8"x6"
Located in Houston, TX
Moonset Palm Rockport Texas Wind Blue Sky Waning Moon Oil Impressionism 8"x6" Artist "One palm, was blowing in the Rockport, TX blue sky. I captured this with the waning moon settin...
Oil, Panel
$1,500
H 16 in W 20 in
"Mt. Evans and Bierstadt, Colorado" (2016) By David Shingler, Oil Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
David Shingler’s "Mt. Evans and Bierstadt, Colorado" (2016) is an original oil painting on wood panel, measuring 16 x 20 inches (40.64 x 50.80 cm). Known for his dynamic landscapes r...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Winters Call" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Rob Alexander's "Winters Call" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a snowy river running alongside snow capped blue mountains. Contrasting the enduring against the ephemeral, the eternal mountains against the short lived ice and snow...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,500
H 17.5 in W 13.5 in D 1 in
Sterling Peonies: framed contemporary oil painting of pink & white flowers
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This is a beautifully framed contemporary floral still-life oil painting of pink and white peonies in a sterling vase in a traditional style by Pennsylvania artist Sharon Henderson. ...
Oil, Panel
Sold
H 50.375 in W 40.375 in D 1.625 in
Ethereal Lights, Electric Fountain; Beverly Hills
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist. FRAMED: 50.375" x 40.375" x 1.625" UNFRAMED: 40" x 30" Artist Statement "As a young boy, my father o...
Oil