Iconic Northern California Landscapes

The beauty and distinctive character of the Northern California coast take center stage in “Iconic Northern California Landscapes,” an exhibition by artist and landscape architect Robert James Wood in the Jacob Foyer.

The exhibit opens Friday, June 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. and will remain on view through July 4.

A lifelong Northern California resident, Wood draws inspiration from the dramatic landscapes of The Sea Ranch, Fort Ross, and the Marin Headlands. His work explores the relationship between the Pacific Ocean and the coastline’s rocky bluffs, marine terraces, upland forests and hedgerows, as well as the barns, homes and fences shaped by these surroundings.

Wood begins each piece with hand-drawn pencil work, which he then refines digitally in Photoshop. His attention to shade, shadow, line and contrast reflects more than 40 years of experience as a licensed landscape architect, bringing together careful observation, artistic technique and principles of design.

His professional career includes leading planning and design teams on projects in the United States and internationally, including work in China, Japan, Europe and the Middle East. His hand-drawn approach to landscape architecture eventually led to Robert Wood Creative, through which he develops artwork celebrating iconic landscapes and destinations in Northern California and beyond.

The exhibition also includes work inspired by historic Fort Baker in the Marin Headlands, where Wood considers the relationship between the coastal landscape and repurposed military architecture. His artwork reflects how restored and adapted Endicott-era buildings have gradually become integrated into their natural surroundings, including places such as Cavallo Point Lodge and the Headlands Center for the Arts.

Together, the works in “Iconic Northern California Landscapes” offer Wood’s personal interpretation of familiar coastal places, celebrating the powerful relationship between landscape, architecture and the built environment.