Life & Work with Mike Adams of Coastal Maine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Adams.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My landscape painting is a mending of both my love for art/ art history and my love of the natural world. I’ve always spent most of my time outdoors – hiking, fly fishing, foraging, understanding how light plays on everything throughout the day. I attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh as a graphic design major, but I fell in love with art history classes while attending. I started with the Renaissance and always appreciated the landscapes in the background that are often over looked. Have you ever noticed the vast expanse of mountains in the Mona Lisa? Most people aren’t even aware of them. This lead to a love of the Impressionists, and their ability to paint outdoors (plein air) conveniently for the first time in history with the invention of the paint tube and the travel easel. I then landed on my favorite groups of artists – the Hudson River school, the American Tonalists, and the Barbizon school. Through studying these artists work, I found that they don’t only paint the exact scene as is, but rather the overall spiritual essence of the world around them, evoking deep feelings of hope or despair in a simple dusk scene. I’ve been since trying to chase the feeling of these artists through my own work. Through this journey, I’ve landed travels all over the US, and internationally. I’ve done a plein air excursion in Iceland and an artist residency in Southern Italy. I’ve had two solo shows at galleries in NYC and Massachusetts, and my landscapes have been featured in an exhibit at the WCMFA in Maryland. My work at the museum was hanging directly next to my historic idols, including Alexander Wyant, Albrecht Durer, George Inness and Frederic Church.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve been extremely fortunate and lucky in my career thus far. As the old saying goes – “Good things come to those who wait”. I’ve kept my head down and I try to make each painting better than the last, either in technical painting application or creating a tonal mood. This can be an uphill struggle as I’ve always been both a perfectionist with a imposter syndrome. Through persistence and patience, I’ve had many wonderful opportunities arrive my way, and I learned to say “yes” to nearly everything. The imposter syndrome in me always said “This project should have gone to someone more deserving”, but I remind myself how fortunate I am for others to see value in what I try and bring to the world. Sometimes the amount of projects I’m working on simultaneously can weigh a ton, but I push always manage to push through.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mikeadams.art
• Instagram: mikeadams.art