William Cather Hook, A Retrospective

By Susan Hallsten McGarry
Foreword by M. Stephen Doherty
244 pp, 175 color plates, 25 color photos, 12”X12”

For three decades, the signature “W.C. Hook” has connoted dynamic design, saturated color, and muscular brushwork. William Cather Hook’s ability to straddle the border between pictorial illusion and pure paint, between traditional yet modern, has won him collectors worldwide.

Less well-known about this master of acrylics is the breadth of his subject matter. In this retrospective of paintings dating from the early 1980s to the present, Hook guides the reader on a journey that includes the back roads of northern New Mexico, the high country of the Colorado Rockies and Sangre de Cristos, California’s Pacific coastline and central valley, the reaches of the Sonoran Desert, and historic vistas in England and Italy. Whether depicting crashing surf, aspen forests, or luminous big skies, Hook’s vision is inviting, vibrant, and infused with radiant light.

The former editor of Southwest Art magazine, Susan Hallsten McGarry, has authored much more than just a picture book as she explores Hook’s working methodology and his biography, from his Kansas roots to his current studios in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Carmel, California. Hook’s namesake cousin, Pulitzer Prize winning author, Willa Cather, is deftly quoted throughout the book as her love of the land parallels Hook’s passion for capturing the nuances of earth, sea, and sky.

SF Design/Fresco Books is responsible for the design and production, with printing in Italy. The superior quality printing provides every page with brilliant color reproduction that remains true to each of Hook’s dazzling paintings.

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"Just wanted to take a moment to tell you how impressed I am with your book. I think it's the most beautiful art book I've ever seen. It's an absolute joy to look at all the paintings and I'm really enjoying reading the text as well." - Leawood, KS

"Absolutely one of the finest art books you will ever see. Great reproductions, and a wonderful retrospective of Hook's career. This is an artist who is not afraid to take chances and masters risky paintings. His choice of brilliant color combined with technical expertise showcase his talent." - from Amazon