John Austin Hanna Artist Biography

 
John graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Advertising Art and Design. As a 20-year illustrator in New York and Dallas he has been published in several magazines such as Automotive Quarterly, Car and Driver, Saga, Town & Country, Flying, Popular Boating, and Popular Science.    He has also done work for several large corporations such as Mercedes, Volkswagen, Bell Helicopter, Lockheed Martin, Borden’s, Pearl Beer, Coors Beer, Phillips 66, Shell Oil, Byron Nelson Golf Classic and Chili’s Bar & Grill. Mr. Hanna’s work can also be found in several books published by Harcourt Brace & World and McGraw Hill. He has done work for author Ian Fleming & Warner Bros.    Despite his successes as an illustrator, Hanna believes that his career really took off once he traded in the “big city skylines” for the rock houses, livestock, landscape and old barns of Fredericksburg, Texas. “My years in New York and Dallas as an illustrator were great, but I wasn’t really following my heart,” explains Hanna. “Throughout my childhood in Beaumont, I was always drawing and dreaming of becoming a ‘real’ artist. I finally decided that I had to pursue that dream”.    Hanna’s paintings are strong in dramatic light and rich in color. His paintings embrace a variety of subjects from landscapes, still lifes and portraits, set anywhere from the Texas Gulf Coast to quaint country homes on the back roads of Missouri. Some of his paintings portray the big picture, some zero in on a walked-over piece of life. “To me, life is more interesting if you look at it the way it is. Everything has its own innate beauty,” he reveals. “Something always triggers a painting: an old house, a rock wall, maybe just light playing on creek water. I never run out of things to see.”   John Austin Hanna is a member of the Oil Painters of America.  In November 2010 he was a finalist in the Bold Brush competition and his work has been published by Somerset House Publishers.  He was recently commissioned by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to do an eight-phase depiction of the rodeo for their corporate offices. John lives in Fredericksburg, Texas with his wife, Sherry.    Recent Shows:  Oil Painters of America - 20th Annual National Juried Exhibition, 2011 Devin Galleries in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho InSight Gallery   “Texas Stampede” Invitational, March 2010   “Celebrations” Invitational, December 2009 and 2010   “Founding Artists Show”, October 2009   “Grand Opening” Group Show, May 2009 Whistle Pik Galleries   “Streams of Life”, March 2008   “Christmas Miniature”, December 1997 – 2008   “Two Man Show”, Mark Haworth / John A. Hanna, November 2003   “Texas Review”, May 1998 – 2007 Cowboy Artists of America Museum Night of Artists, 2002 – 2003 Texas Art Gallery Semi-Annual Shows, 2002 – 2003 Admiral Nimitz Museum “Fredericksburg Texas: 150 Years of Paintings and Drawing”, May 1996
         Exhibit accompanied by 112 page hardbound book featuring 26 artists Cowboy Artists of America Museum Night of Artists – Kerrville, Texas – 2002-2003 Texas Art Gallery Semi-annual shows - Dallas, Texas – 2002-2003   Magazines: Brown, Margaret. “Best of the West.” Southwest Art Oct. 1997. Bucher, Kristin. “Best of the West: Texas.” Southwest Art Apr. 1997. Editors. “Art Events.” Southwest Art Nov. 2000. Editors. “Art Events.” Southwest Art Nov. 2001. Editors. “Art Events: Texas.” Southwest Art Nov. 2002. Editors. “In the Galleries.” Art-Talk Apr. 1999. Editors. “In the Galleries.” Art-Talk Nov. 2001. Fewox, Samantha. “Portrait of a Rodeo Cowboy.” Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Summer 2006. Print. John is featured in this article. John was also commissioned by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo do to an eight-phase depiction of the rodeo for their corporate offices. Osterman, Julie. “Art Events – Texas.” Southwest Art Sept. 2004. Osterman, Julie. “Texas: Best of the West.” Southwest Art Apr. 2004. Osterman, Julie. “Texas: Best of the West.” Southwest Art May 2004. Rose, Joshua. “Founding Artists.” Western Art Collector Oct. 2009. Schneider, Wolf. “My World.” Southwest Art Feb. 2005. “Texas Tradition.” Western Art Collector Oct. 2010. Southwest Art Magazine - Dec 2012

RS Hanna Gallery - Artist Biography John Austin Hanna

208 South Llano Street ~ Fredericksburg, Texas  78624

Ph:  (830) 307-3071  Fax:  (855) 245-8749

E-Mail:  Shannon@RSHannaGallery.com

Publications: As a 20-year illustrator in New York and Dallas, John Austin Hanna has been published in several magazines such as Automotive Quarterly, Car and Driver, Saga, Town & Country, Flying, Popular Boating, and Popular Science. He has also done work for several large corporations such as Mercedes, Volkswagen, Bell Helicopter, Lockheed Martin, Borden’s, Pearl Beer, Coors Beer, Phillips 66, Shell Oil, Byron Nelson Golf Classic and Chili’s Bar & Grill. Mr. Hanna’s work can also be found in several books published by Harcourt Brace & World and McGraw Hill. He has done work for author Ian Fleming & Warner Bros.   Books:  Duty, Michael, and Susan Hallsten McGarry. Texas Traditions: Contemporary Artists of the Lone Star State. 2010. John Austin Hanna is a featured artist in this beautiful book.  Maguire, Jack, and Ann Maguire. Fredericksburg, Texas: 150 Years of Paintings and Drawings. Fredericksburg, TX: Fredericksburg 150th Anniversary, 1995. John Austin Hanna is one of 26 artists featured in this book. The book accompanied an exhibit at the Admiral Nimitz Museum.  Mason, Michael, and John Hanna. Casey’s Cove: a Village on the New England Seacoast. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1969. The story is by Michael Mason. John Hanna illustrated the book.  Mohon, Monty, and Michelle Mohon. Gillespie County, a View of Its past. Virginia Beach, VA: Donning, 1996. John Austin Hanna’s painting depicting the early life of Gillespie County settlers is the cover for this book.  Perkins, Al, John Hanna, and Ian Fleming. Meet Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the Wonderful Magical Car. New York: Random House, 1968. The story was adapted by All Perkins from the screenplay based on the Ian Fleming story. This children’s book was illustrated by John Hanna.
Click here to see John Austin Hanna’s Feature Article in Western Art & Architecture Magazine - June/July 2012John_Austin_Hanna_Bio_files/John_WAA_Article_2012.pdfJohn_Austin_Hanna_Bio_files/John_WAA_Article_2012.pdfJohn_Austin_Hanna_Bio_files/John_WAA_Article_2012.pdfJohn_Austin_Hanna_Bio_files/John_WAA_Article_2012.pdfJohn_Austin_Hanna_Bio_files/John_WAA_Article_2012.pdfshapeimage_7_link_0shapeimage_7_link_1shapeimage_7_link_2shapeimage_7_link_3shapeimage_7_link_4