Hog Island (on Tamales Bay)

Byron McClintock

Byron McClintock has often used the Northern California coastline as a source of inspiration for his abstract landscapes, owing in part to the diverse ecosystems and the drama of the changing seasonal tides. Here, he captures a small portion of Marin County’s Hog Island, a 2-mile long stretch of uninhabited land that runs down the center of Tomales Bay, five miles south of its opening onto the Pacific Ocean. The base of the island at low tide is a wall of yellow soil and sandstone that glows in sunset light. It is host to chaparral shrubs and eucalyptus trees, as well as Harbor seals during pupping season. The island is in the care of Point Reyes National Seashore.