Peter Adams Art
American, b. 1950
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.
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Artist: Peter Adams
Panorama; Looking East from Mt. Disappointment
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
UNFRAMED: 12" x 16" FRAMED: 17.5" x 21.75" x 2.125"
Exhibited
The Diverse Environments of the Arroyo Seco: Paintings from the Cali...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Panel, Oil
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...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Evening Light over Brookside Gold Course; Pasadena
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
UNFRAMED: 12" x 9" FRAMED: 18.5" x 15.5" x 1.5"
Exhibited
The Diverse Environments of the Arroyo Seco: Paintings from the Californ...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Summer Pool at Switzer's; Angeles Crest Forest
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallerydirectly 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 Califor...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Summer Swimming Hole along the Ventura River; Ojai, California
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist.
UNFRAMED: 24" x 30" FRAMED: 33.25" x 39.25" x 1.75"
“As an artist, my work serves as a profound exploration of the deep connectio...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Golden Sunset, Matilija Valley, Ojai
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
Exhibited
"Ojai Mystique: Landscape Painting by 21 Nationally Renowned Artists", Ojai Valley Museum, Ojai, California, October 20, 2...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Two Lohans and Kwan Yin
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
FRAMED: 31.75" x 27.75" x 1.625" UNFRAMED: 24" x 20"
Artist Statement
“Among my most memorable and profound travel exper...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Secret Cove; Afternoon Surge at Point Lobos State Reserve
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist; February 2023 submitted to Autry Museum of the American West for the "Masters of the American West" exhibition and sale.
...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
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...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil
Garden Friends
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
FRAMED: 22.75"x x18.75" x 1.75" UNFRAMED: 16" x 12"
Exhibited
The Poetry of Still Life, American Legacy Fine Arts, Pasa...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Taming Dragon Lohan
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
FRAMED: 17.5" x 14.5" x 1.375" UNFRAMED: 12" x 9"
Description
This still life is lively with its intermingled blue and vio...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Aspects of Mary: Still Life, Religious, Figurative
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
FRAMED: 31.75" x 27.75" x 1.375" UNFRAMED: 24" x 20"
Artist Statement
"For two millennia, the Virgin Mary’s image has ca...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Beauty in Nocturne: Ruckstull's Sculpture of Evening
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
FRAMED: 38" x 32" x 2.5" UNFRAMED: 30" x 24"
Artist Statement
“All the objects in this painting are part of my personal co...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Summer Crescendo; Saint Malo Beach, Oceanside
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist.
Artist Statement
“At the time of big surf in the late afternoon, it is wonderful to watch the co...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Pastel
Afternoon Glow, Cathedral Cove, Anacapa Island
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
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...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Linen, Oil, Panel
Peaceful Passage; Batiquitos Lagoon, Carlsbad, California
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
Description
Peter Adams' flare for combining real places with dreamlike visions is exemplified in this plein air oil pain...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Golden Cove Breakers; Rancho Palos Verdes
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist.
Artist Statement
“At the time of big surf in the late afternoon, it is wonderful to watch the color and the wave shadows...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil Pastel
Pastoral Morning; Redding
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired directly from the Artist by the gallery
Description
While a guest on a private ranch in Redding, California artist Peter Adams took out his pastels on an early s...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Pastel
Study for the 7th Station; Jesus Falls the Second Time
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
Even though Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross, Jesus, weakened by his severe whipping and blood loss, has a hard time even to walk and stumbles and falls the second time...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Afternoon at Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos, California
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
Exhibited
Fleeting Moments 2nd Biennale: Works en Plein Air, American Legacy Fine Arts, November 22 – December 15, 2019
...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Brilliant Reflections; Rocky Point, Carmel, California
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
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...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Forgiveness Sunday, Protection of the Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Church; Holly
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
Description
The overall sense in this luminous oil painting by Peter Adams is of reverence. The contrast between the bril...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
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
...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Trappist Monastery in Latrun; Overlooking the Road to Jerusalem
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
"Latrun is on a hilltop in the Ayalon Valley, about fifteen miles west of Jerusalem. The Ayalon Valley is the site of the battle in which Joshua led the Israelites in their victory over the Amorites (Joshua 10:1-11). One theory as to the origin of the name Latrun suggests that it was named after the Repentant Thief who was crucified alongside Jesus."
—Sara Campbell...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Panel, Oil
Mary Magdelene at the Foot of the Cross, Church of the Holy Sepulcher
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
This view of Mary Magdalene is a detail of the larger Alter of the Crucifixion. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is venerated by Christians as the site of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Watch the video on “Peter Adams: Inspirations for the Fourteen Stations of the Cross and Sacred Themes” on YouTube.
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
Exhibited
"Inspirations From the Fourteen Stations of the Cross and Sacred Themes" - USC Caruso Catholic Center, Los Angeles, March 26 - June 16, 2018
"Jerusalem Journey - Walking the Sacred Path" - Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Garden of Latrun Monastery Looking West
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
In December 1890, the Latrun Monastery was established by Trappist monks. This view overlooks the fertile Ayalon Valley. It is dedicated to Notre Dame de Sept Douleurs (Our Lady of the...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Sources of Light - St. Andrews Catholic Church, Pasadena
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
Artist's Statement:
Sources of Light refers to spiritual beauty, which is portrayed here in the tranquil atmosphere of th...
Category
Early 2000s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Golgotha (Station 12) inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
Spending the night in the dark interior of Jerusalem’s ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Peter Adams produced five paintings with a light attached to his head. Inside the Church are more than thirty chapels and worship spaces, such as the one depicted here, representing the Crucifixion. This particular chapel is reputed to be the actual site of Golgotha.
Watch the video on “Peter Adams: Inspirations for the Fourteen Stations of the Cross and Sacred Themes” on YouTube.
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
Exhibited
"Inspirations From the Fourteen Stations of the Cross and Sacred Themes" - USC Caruso Catholic Center, Los Angeles, March 26 - June 16, 2018
"Jerusalem Journey - Walking the Sacred Path" - Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Crucifix and Retablo at Serra Chapel; Mission San Juan Capistrano
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Artist Statement
“The majority of the work was painted inside Serra Chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
I was allowed to bring my colored lights...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
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...
Category
Early 2000s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Wood 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...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Archangel Michael and the Serpent; Sacred Heart Academy
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
The artist painted a wooden sculpture that depicts the Archangel Michael after he has vanquished the dragon, Satan. Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in La Canada...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Altar, Church of St. John the Baptist in Ein Karem
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
"The Interior walls of the Church of St. John are covered with blue and white decorative tiles, and their reflection bathes the space with a soft blue light. Adams has tightly focused his composition on the altar with its sculpture of the Virgin, and the cobalt tones enhance the impression of serenity."
—Sara Campbell...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Candlelight in St. Peregrine Chapel; Mission San Juan Capistrano
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
Artist Statement
"The warmth and glow of the flickering candle flames beckoned me to enter this intimate chapel dedicated to St. Peregrine (Pellegrino Latiosi, c. 1260-1345). Located inside Serra Church at Mission San Juan Capistrano...
Category
2010s Impressionist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
The Jerusalem International YMCA Tower and Concert Hall
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
The YMCA building, across from the King David Hotel, was designed in the late 1920’s by Arthur Loomis Harmon, whose architectural form des...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Statue of the Sleeping Virgin; Interior of the Church of the Dormition
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
Mount Zion in ancient Jerusalem is dominated by the Church of the Dormition. The church is identified in Christian tradition as the site of the...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Father Serra's Bronze Cenotaph
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
Completed in 1924 by sculpture Jo Mora (1876–1947) these life size figures of three Franciscan monks and an image of the reclining deceased Father ...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Nabi Musa (Prophet Moses) at Ramadan; Judean Desert
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
"The mosque of Nabi Musa (Prophet Moses) in the Judean Desert is an important Muslim pilgrimage site in Palestine. According to Islamic tradition, the many-domed building marks the burial site of Moses."
— Sara Campbell...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
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...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
View of the Church of the Visitation from the Church of St. John the Baptist in
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
"Saint Luke (1:39-41) relates that, “Mary set out at that time and went quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
The Church of the Visitation is said to be built over the home of St. John the Baptist’s parents and commemorates this meeting between the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth, the mother of St. John."
—Sara Campbell...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
View of Mount Zion from our Balcony at the King David Hotel, Jerusalem
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
Adams painted the view from his hotel balcony. Mt. Zion and The Church of the Dormition can be seen in the background in the left.
Watch the video on “Peter Adams: Inspirations for the Fourteen Stations of the Cross and Sacred Themes” on YouTube.
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
Exhibited
"Inspirations From the Fourteen Stations of the Cross and Sacred Themes" - USC Caruso Catholic Center, Los Angeles, March 26 - June 16, 2018
"Jerusalem Journey - Walking the Sacred Path" - Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
St. Jerome & St. Catherine of Alexandria, Church of St. Catherine, Bethlehem
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
The church of St. Catherine is adjacent and connected to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where they celebrate the place where Jesus was born. It also harbors the ...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Jesus is Stripped of His Garments (Study for Station 10)
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
This painting is a preliminary study for Adams' depiction of Station 10, the final version of which is installed in the Church of Our Savior at USC’s Caruso Catholic Cen...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Study for the 6th Station; Veronica
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
As Veronica wipes the face of Jesus she receives from the impression the image of Christ’s face on a cloth. The scene reminds us of the sixth Beatitude: “Blessed are the ...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Study for the 12th Station; The Crucifixion Scene
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Description
This work is the original study for Peter Adams’ “Twelfth Station of the Cross” installed at Our Savior Church located at the USC Caruso Catholic Center in Los Angeles. I...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
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...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Pastel
Alberich's Vision (Rhine Maidens)
By Peter Adams
Located in Pasadena, CA
Provenance
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist
FRAMED: 82" x 58" x 2.25" UNFRAMED: 72" x 48"
Artist's Statement:
Alberich’s Vision is inspired by Richard Wagner’s fou...
Category
2010s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil
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
De...
Category
Early 2000s Realist Peter Adams Art
Materials
Oil, Panel
Peter Adams art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Peter Adams art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, red and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Peter Adams in oil paint, paint, panel and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the Impressionist style. Not every interior allows for large Peter Adams art, so small editions measuring 15 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Thelma Appel, Douglas Newton, and Ellen Bradshaw. Peter Adams art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,200 and tops out at $35,000, while the average work can sell for $7,000.