John Austin Hanna

Native Texan John Austin Hanna insists his career really took off once he traded in the skyline of Manhattan for the rock houses and old barns of Fredericksburg, Texas. "My years in New York 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 knew he found the way to his heart's desire in the first visit to the rugged Germanic hills of Texas. "My wife and I moved into a 92 year old house on Main Street twenty years ago," Hanna says of his Fredericksburg home. "We're definitely here to stay." Strong in dramatic light and rich in color, Hanna's paintings reflect his love for the Texas landscape. "I like to roll out of bed in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, hop into my pickup and just drive around the countryside for inspiration," 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."