Steve Thoms (b. 1960, Blackburn, Lancashire) is a contemporary British artist known for his vibrant landscape oil paintings. His work is influenced by the emotive qualities of American Impressionism, particularly the use of light and shadow associated with artists such as Edward Hopper, which he adapts to create strong atmospheric contrasts within European and British landscape settings.

Thoms frequently depicts sun-drenched landscapes, with recurring subjects including fields of poppies in Tuscany, the Yorkshire Dales, and Mediterranean coastal scenes. His focus lies in capturing the “true ambience” of a place through vivid colour and high-contrast tonal structure, using light as a central expressive tool rather than purely descriptive detail.

Originally an accomplished cartoonist, he began painting seriously in 1981 before turning professional full-time in 1992. This earlier background in illustration contributes to the clarity and compositional strength seen in his paintings, even as his later work moves toward more atmospheric and painterly expression.

Thoms exhibits widely across the UK and the USA, and his work is held in private collections internationally. His paintings continue to be recognised for their bold use of colour, strong sense of place, and ability to translate familiar landscapes into heightened, emotionally resonant scenes.