BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
Denver-based painter Adam Anglin has built a quietly compelling artistic vision from the push and pull between the natural world and the synthetic noise that crowds it. A self-taught landscape artist born in Rogers, Arkansas, Anglin layers vibrant colorful compositions over western landscapes, weaving in geometric perspective lines and inorganic forms that feel at once intrusive and honest. In just a few short years, Anglin has earned an Emerging Artist grant from the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, been named a Saatchi Art Rising Star, and landed a solo exhibition at Boulder’s Crowd Collective, all while asking viewers: what are we losing when we stop longing for beauty?
Your work is a beautiful collision between nature and modern distraction. What first sparked your interest in exploring that tension visually?
It feels like we live in this constant battle for our attention. For me what sparked this idea was that it would feel disingenuous to paint the natural world (landscapes) without acknowledging where I live most of my life. On a screen, in a city, surrounded by busy people constantly on the move. (As I type this a jackhammer is pounding away on the street behind me.) So bringing these things together felt like the only way I could honestly paint the west as a city dweller.
You’ve described your paintings as “harmonious moments of disruption.” What does that phrase mean to you personally?
I tend to think of anything that gets “in the way” as inconvenience or distraction and yet so much of life is not a linear trajectory of growth and personal fulfillment. While being distracted for the sake of it is not a good thing, so many moments of disruption in my day are tied to the needs of others. Seeing the beauty of my life bearing witness to another’s is really sweet if I can slow down long enough to enjoy the smallness of it all.
Can you give us a peek into your process?
I start all my pieces in a design program on my laptop. I’ll riffle through a collection of old photos and start laying out the concept. For me it’s about making everything come together in this composition phase before I do anything else. Once I’ve landed on this I move into drawing everything, masking off my big color-field spaces and then painting. My studio is a single car garage that was recently converted into a studio space. It’s a major upgrade from the 9×8 basement office I was using. The vibe is pretty mellow. White walls and colorful vintage inspired rugs. I like to paint while listening to a record.
As someone with a background in graphic design and music, how do those creative disciplines show up in your paintings today?
Design shows up at the beginning of my process. It’s my first step before painting. I don’t know why, but at this point it must be a comfort for me. Like a warm blanket. Opening up the laptop is like a creative primer. Gets the ideas flowing. Music production is so process heavy. I think that helps me not get overwhelmed in the details of a piece. I can allow myself to take it a day at a time and enjoy every part of it. Even when I’m hating everything.
Denver’s creative community seems to have played an important role in your journey. What is it about this city that continues to inspire or support your work?
I love this city so much. Denver seems to have something for everyone and yet, it doesn’t feel so big that you get lost in it all. The thing that keeps me excited is knowing that there’s always more out there. So many layers to the creative world of Denver to explore. More artists, collectors, curators, consultants, connections, etc. It feels like we live in this very vibrant art scene and it fills me with so much creativity.
Your landscapes often feel emotional rather than literal. Do you begin a piece with a memory, a mood, or a color palette?
Longing is probably the biggest emotional theme. I don’t always seem to hit the mark, but that’s the feeling I want in most of my work. Something that pulls you in and makes you long for something more or something new. I often long for a sense of wholeness or peace. I hope that comes through. My palette is often influenced by pop artists and abstract artists. I love bold color, so pairing my landscapes with this kind of palette is important for my work.
You picked painting back up seriously in 2023 and have already had an incredible rise. Has that momentum changed your relationship with creativity, or has it reinforced something you already knew deep down?
It has certainly reinforced my relationship with being an artist. I’ve always known I was creative, but this has helped me see that this is my primary calling. It is such a gift to make and create and know this is exactly where you were meant to be.
There’s a sense of longing and stillness in your work, even amid bold color and structure. What do you hope people feel when they stand in front of one of your paintings?
I’m not sure. I do hope people can slow down long enough to just take it in. I’ve seen people breakdown in tears in front of me and my work. It’s so moving. I get emotional just thinking about it. I guess I want my work to move people viscerally. I want it to be something that they can’t simply rationalize. I want it to stick in them and stay. That could be an emotional thing or not, but that’s the kind of impact I want to elicit.
You balance being an artist, musician, husband, and dad. How do you protect space for inspiration and creativity in everyday life?
I don’t! Lol. On the inspiration side, I feel like I always have way more ideas than time. My mind is constantly going. On the balance side, I’m actually pretty terrible managing everything. Feedback from my wife helps! I’m so obsessive with my work. I need to be physically pulled from my space so I can be more present in all things. I’m getting better, but it’s a challenge. Balance is not my specialty.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I have a few summer festivals coming up – Cherry Creek Arts Festival, where I was selected as an Emerging Artist grant recipient back in 2024. I’ll be there again July 3-5, then Pearl Street Arts Fest in Boulder July 17-19 and another show in Golden mid August. In September, I head to Kansas City for Plaza Art Fair, which is a phenomenal show. I won my first festival award in painting there last year, so I can’t wait to go back. After that I’ll be working on a new collection of abstract work for the fall. I’d love to find a gallery home in Denver this year, so hopefully that will materialize in the coming months as well.
Thank you, Adam for sharing your artistic process with our audience. To see his vast collection, visit adamanglin.com.