Born in San Francisco, Wood drew and painted early on. He has enjoyed the lifelong example and influence of distinguished artists: his parents Mireille and Philip Wood, grandfather Gottardo Piazzoni, great-uncle Maurice del Mué, cousin Russell Chatham, and other relatives and friends in the arts.
He earned a B.A. from University of California Berkeley and an M.A. in English from San Francisco State University. He taught college composition and literature in New York and California for several years, and has also worked in educational media and photography.
You are welcome to visit his studio/gallery during scheduled shows,
and otherwise by appointment.
Artist's remarks
"I paint outdoors because I believe first-hand perception results in freshness and authenticity. I spend a lot of time looking and choosing, finding a motif – maybe an unexpected combination of sunlight and shade – evoking an emotion or sensation that will govern the painting. The natural landscape, for me, represents past and future, the life-cycle, and the wonder, mystery and beauty of the world.
"I enjoy painting, and I enjoy being in nature, and being able to take home part of it in the form of art is gratifying. In the meditation and contemplation involved in painting, time slows or recedes, and the day-to-day cares of the world vanish for a while. I frame and show the work that pleases me so that others, I hope, may also find it pleasurable, and a source of shared recollection and experience.
"A good landscape painting hung on your wall is an art object you can turn to again and again to find new sources of inspiration."