Brent Adams — Pyramid Mountain

Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 18x24”
Oil on linen 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Ink on paper 12x18”
Ink on paper 12x18”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Pastel on paper 18x24”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Ink on paper 12x18”
Ink on paper 12x18”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Pastel on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 18x24”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Pastel on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 18x24”
Charcoal on paper 18x24”
Oil on linen 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 18x24”
Charcoal on paper 18x24”
Charcoal on paper 18x24”
Charcoal on paper 18x24”
Charcoal on paper 18x24”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Oil on Linen 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Oil on linen 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
Charcoal on paper 24x36”
xxx - Charcoal on paper 24x36”
xxx - Charcoal on paper 24x36”
xxx - Charcoal on paper 24x36”

Running, Drawing, and a Steady Practice




Pyramid Mountain is the name of a small mountain in New Jersey where I like to hike and run and has become the collective name that I give to my drawing practice. I’ve taken countless photos of the scattered stones there and it’s the source and reference for many of my drawings. 

Contact via Instagram:
@canceledepisode



 I’m one of those people who likes to run most mornings. On a run, I allow my thoughts to pursue anything that comes up - pop music, deep anxieties, art, nonsense, anything at all - like a waking dream. I love the regularity of the training, the peace, and the freedom to explore. I love the quiet simplicity of the practice. The act of running itself is the point. 

Drawing feels a lot like running. Both rely on a balance of physical, mental, and emotional engagement and involve a level of exploration and reflection. Both are drawn out over time. Neither one is working toward an ultimate goal. A finished drawing is wonderful, but it’s not the end of the practice. Just like finishing a long, tough run is not the end of running. Both are perpetual and are driven by a sense of curiosity, where the pursuit is the purpose.

Unlike running, drawing leaves behind something tangible: a piece of paper marked with lines and forms. A physical marker of time and experience that can be shared with someone else. It’s evidence of the process, a reflection of the journey. A drawing offers the viewer the opportunity to retrace the steps of the practice. 

Each of my drawings begins with intentionality and an open-minded commitment to follow where it leads—seeing, responding, and reflecting until it’s done. Often, I work from the same source over and over again, working on several studies simultaneously. With each iteration, the experience feels both familiar and new. There’s always something to discover and it’s constantly surprising to see what emerges from the practice. Some days it’s an uncomfortable struggle. But most days, my drawing practice unfolds as a peaceful reflection.

Recently, I’ve been drawing the scattered stones I find arrayed on hiking trails through the woods. It’s a practice that engages with landscape but with the scrutiny and perspective of still-life. I find these forms endlessly intriguing as a subject. I’m captivated by the way the stones interact with the light and space around them and hold the greater energy of their environment. I like many of the drawings that come as a result, and some of them might even be beautiful. In the end though, the result isn’t what really matters. Much like running, it’s the act itself that holds the meaning.




Brent Adams 
January 2025