Susan Adams

USA, b.1957

Lives and works in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Available CV Commission

Texas-born artist Susan Adams draws inspiration from Costa Rica’s landscape and its people, specifically within the Guanacaste province, which has been her home for over 25 years. As an observer of daily life and culture, Adams immortalises cowboys, dancers, bull rings, and the traditions upheld by the eclectic spectrum of local people.

Aside from portraiture, Adams also paints the diverse ecosystems of fauna and landscapes, whether its frogs sitting atop jungle branches, grand Guanacaste trees or the raw atmospheric light radiating from her beach scenes. Adams celebrates the nation’s connection with the natural world through her subjects, aiming to capture its beauty while also documenting environmental concerns; her paintings exude an optimism that we can collectively reverse the damage inflicted upon our planet.

Combining impressionism and realism, Adams primarily uses oil on canvas. Her distinctive technique involves applying a gesso primer with a stucco trowel, occasionally layering metallic paint, and ultimately incorporating oil paint. Her biggest creative influence might be Costa Rica, yet Adams’ travels across Europe also influence and feature in her work. Always documenting the world around her, Adams notes, “My camera is an integral part of my creative process, and I never travel without it.”

Adams, a graduate of Southwest Texas State University with a degree in Commercial Art, is also a children’s book illustrator and winner of many awards, including the coveted Best of Show 2002 at the Corpus Christi Independent. Her work exemplifies integration into Costa Rican culture, expressing and celebrating it through her artistic vision.

Susan Adams in her studio, 2023 (Photography by Javier Quispe)

"Walk into my paintings; feel the action or simply enjoy the moment in nature." Adams 2023