Rob Adamson, a professor of art at Salt Lake Community College, began painting nocturne cityscapes of New York City, Salt Lake City and elsewhere in 1997 when he discovered the work of the late, well-known San Francisco painter James Jeffrey Stagg. He painted both day and night scenes, but lately has been experimenting with the period “just as the lights begin to come on.” He says he also has been pushing the abstract nature of his work.
“I began ‘Main Street at Dusk’ [oil on panel 36” x 48”] with random, abstract underpainting of various colors. The underpainting created some interesting colors and textures that were incorporated into the finished painting. During the process I paint, scrape out, let dry, glaze, sand down, paint again, etc. I enjoy the process as much if not more than finishing the painting. I love the interplay between abstraction and realism and my paintings shift from one to the other depending on the distance from which they are viewed. For me, to have both working simultaneously expands the language of painting,” the artist explains.
He currently has a 4’ x 4’ mountain painting on display at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City (“Mount of Transfiguration”) and also shows his work at 15th Street Gallery and Southam’s. Adamson’s next major project will be a larger mountain painting (approx. 6’ x 8’). He is a member of the Plein Air Painters of Utah. To view more of his work, go to: robadamsonstudio.blogspot.com
Main Street at Dusk by Rob Adamson, December 2015
A graduate of the University of Utah, Ann Poore is a freelance writer and editor who spent most of her career at The Salt Lake Tribune. She was the 2018 recipient of the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Artist Award in the Literary Arts.
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