Jo Anne Hook

Born in Australia, Jo Anne Hook dreamed from childhood of illustrating children’s books. She began by sketching horses and steadily developed her painting techniques, consistently winning prizes at local art shows. Hook studied drawing, graphic design, printmaking, pottery, and photography at Shepparton College and Swinburne College in Melbourne. She held her first exhibition in 1974 at age 22 and later studied printmaking at Prahan Technical College. She traveled to Europe to exhibit her work in various galleries and worked as a freelance illustrator for national publications including Women’s Weekly, Reader’s Digest, and Women’s Day. In 1980, her poster commissioned by the Sydney Royal Easter Show won a prestigious award.
Hook sometimes works with colored inks but usually creates her paintings with a combination of acrylics and gouache, achieving a glowing, vibrant, almost three-dimensional effect. As an accomplished graphic artist, she has created interpretations of her imagery in various original graphic media and personally supervises the creation of every lithograph or serigraph she makes. As her reputation has grown, Hook has received commissions from international hotels, Australian Airlines, and IBM Japan. Due to the demanding techniques she employs, she is only able to create about 50 paintings per year, keeping demand for her works in all media very high. Jo Anne Hook is represented by Park West Gallery.