about me
As teenagers during summers in Carmel Valley, my cousin Russ (standing) and I would paint our surroundings – oaks and canyons, barns and fences – and tack our paintings on the wall of the ranch house.
As teenagers during summers in Carmel Valley, my cousin Russ (standing) and I would paint our surroundings – oaks and canyons, barns and fences – and tack our paintings on the wall of the ranch house.
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.
As teenagers during summers in Carmel Valley, my cousin Russ (standing) and I would paint our surroundings – oaks and canyons, barns and fences – and tack our paintings on the wall of the ranch house.
As teenagers during summers in Carmel Valley, my cousin Russ (standing) and I would paint our surroundings – oaks and canyons, barns and fences – and tack our paintings on the wall of the ranch house.
As teenagers during summers in Carmel Valley, my cousin Russ (standing) and I would paint our surroundings – oaks and canyons, barns and fences – and tack our paintings on the wall of the ranch house.
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 prefer to use physical mailings, rather than emails, for announcements of my upcoming shows. If you would like to receive these notices, send me your U.S. postal address.
As teenagers during summers in Carmel Valley, my cousin Russ (standing) and I would paint our surroundings – oaks and canyons, barns and fences – and tack our paintings on the wall of the ranch house.
Most of the time I paint on location. In my search for a composition, I might be influenced by, for example, a certain interplay of light and shadow, a color, or a sense of distance.
Painting, for me, is meditative, involving observation and understanding. I seek to communicate the truth of a place and what it feels like to be there. I strive for visual and emotional accuracy, without shortcuts or formulaic preconceptions.