I was born in San Francisco into an artistic family and drew and painted from an early age, inspired by artists: parents Mireille and Phil Wood, grandfather Gottardo Piazzoni, cousin Russ Chatham and great-uncle Maurice del Mué, among many others.
Earning a B.A. (University of California Berkeley) and an M.A. (San Francisco State University) in English, I taught college composition and literature for several years in New York and California. I also worked in educational media and photography, and was active in theater and music.
Painting outdoors started as a youthful summer activity and continued, off and on, into adulthood. I eventually decided to pursue my artwork professionally, and, since the 1980s, have exhibited in numerous one-man and group shows.
I welcome studio visits by appointment. If you would like to receive mailed announcements of my upcoming shows and infrequent brochure, Painting the Landscape, send me your U.S. postal address.
I mostly paint on location. As I search for a possible painting, I may be intrigued by, say, an interaction of light and shadow, a color, an arrangement of shapes, or a mood of tranquillity.
The activity of painting, for me, is meditative, involving observation and understanding, accuracy and truth. I want to create the visual equivalent of being in nature.
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