Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

The rugged surface of this painting with colors scumbled scratchily over each other recalls the complex, muscular surfaces of some of Monet's late waterlilies: up close the paint is heavy and crude and dry, but the aerial perspective is delicate and full of light and air, suggesting with just a few strokes the old industrial city nestled in its hazy valley like a mirage.  This atmospheric approach is in stark contrast to other landscape painters in the collection such Michael Brophy, whose crisp image of driftwood was made in the studio from photo references; Adams' evocative painting was made on site with no intermediate other than the artist's eyes and hand. Adams' approach to plein air painting can be traced back to the French impressionists and to American artists who followed their example (John Twachtman was a favorite of hers) and to the work of Phyllis Trowbridge in the Rock Creek collection.