Morning Fog, Morro Rock

Micah Schwaberow

The famous silhouette of Morro Rock rises from bay waters and early morning fog in Micah Schwaberow's small-format color woodcut. Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo County, California, is known for its surrounding natural features, including a surrounding estuary and a collection of low-lying islands just off shore.

Originally called "tsitqawi", or, "Place of the Dogs" by the local Obispeno Chumash tribe, the bay was later dubbed by Spanish settlers as "morro," the word used in many Romantic languages to describe hill-shaped formations. Additionally, "moro" is the Spanish descriptor for a bluish hue - appropriate for the volcanic geological formation which is often depicted as such by many artists.