104 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM art culture in a meaningful way. “At the end of the day, there are 10 million paintings out there,” concedes Dustin. “The question I ask myself as an artist is why? I want to use a visual language that everyone can understand and create something that is relatable in modern times.” Teaching allows Dustin to pass on legacy artist training, yet make it pertinent in the 21st century. “Art is a wholly human endeavor,” stresses Dustin. “Art and culture separate us from the animals from which we evolved. Artists are stewards of the past while building upon that knowledge.” As an artist in Silicon Valley, Dustin reflects on AI’s impact on art, noting that he sees parallels between the invention of the camera and the new technology. “The camera displaced a lot of portrait painters,” he acknowledges. “But as you see, there are still portrait painters. It allowed people to get a little more creative. Shortly after came the impressionists and abstract expressionists.” To escape the hustle of the Bay Area, Dustin enjoys solace in nature. The shadows and calm of the forest are not unlike the tranquil quality of his paintings. “Learning to observe things around me and looking over things much more deeply is what interests me in quieter paintings,” he remarks. {home & design} PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: DUSTIN ADAMSON ABOVE: (top left) Repose League in Palo Alto (PAL), a creative community that collaborates around art education. This year, PAL selected Dustin’s paintings to be featured in its 105th Anniversary Exhibition beginning November 13 and running through January 12. His work also hangs at Monmouth Museum in New Jersey, Hudson Valley Artists Association and the Salmagundi Club in New York, one of the oldest art organizations in the U.S. For the art curious, Dustin advises taking classes with as many teachers as possible. “You want to try different approaches because one will resonate better than others,” he encourages. “You will develop a personal style over time. Focus on the fundamentals. As you get more fluid and confident, then you drift toward ideas and learn how colors interact. That’s what leads to style.” As an emerging American artist, Dustin’s goal is to contribute and add something to the current painterly passion dustinadamsonfineart.com
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