As a young boy living on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Steve Adam grew up with ocean water and salt breezes in his blood. He remembers spending hours on boats fishing in the Gulf with his dad who owned a seafood processing plant. He also remembers traveling up and down the coast, soaking up sunrises through the palm trees and the moonshine rippling over the water from New Orleans to Biloxi to the Florida Keys. Steve is still influenced by indelible childhood impressions of watching the ocean reflect the sky.
Along with an appreciation of nature in all its beautiful rawness, Steve's father encouraged him to think unconventionally and solve problems creatively-two approaches that have stayed with him throughout his art and life.
When he moved to the Golden Coast — Southern California’s Riviera — Steve brought his childhood memories and just $1,000 with him. His first job landed him in the construction industry, working in homes in Orange County and along the ocean-front cliffs overlooking the Pacific. He learned about textures as well as palettes that take their cue from the sand, sea, and sky outside. It also exposed him to the aesthetics of interior design and to art as a function of tasteful home décor in a county known for its casual sophistication. Steve is a self-taught artist and freely combines his limitless imagination with the expression of his acquired aesthetic sensibilities.
His Gulf Coast upbringing and Golden Coast construction experience collide on the canvas. The result is distinctively and unmistakably Steve Adam — vivid monochromatic colors with a retro feel, abstract interpretations of palm trees and waves, and a freshness that brightens any room. Looking at a Steve Adam painting you can almost smell the salty air, hear the lap of water against the shore and see the palms swaying.
Everything in Steve's world possesses the potential to inspire another painting or object d' art. Remarkably, Steve employs an expansive variety of mixed materials, media and mediums. Seamless meshing of the conventional and the unconventional with freedom of expression. Steve’s interpretation of the abstract lends a savvy sense painting not what he sees, but what he feels about what he sees. His unique approach creates art that immediately stands out on the wall, and stands apart from other coastal artists. His work is bold, evocative, and contemporary. Like the breezes that filter through his studio window overlooking the ocean, it’s a breath of fresh air.
It’s also the reason why collectors, architects, and interior designers are drawn to Steve’s art. You’ll find his original paintings and privately commissioned works in homes and surfers’ shacks across the U.S., and around the world—from Laguna Beach to Palm Springs to Manhattan to Dubai. Each work captures the coastal lifestyle for everyone to experience.
Capture your piece of the coast, too. Browse through Steve’s online gallery, shop for prints of his most popular work, or Steve directly to talk about commissions, a unique piece, or a large scale painting just for you.
