THERE are a mixture of paintings from the Warwick area, interstate and overseas in a new book by Warwick artist Dennis Hope.

Mr Hope and his wife, Marjorie, moved to Warwick five years ago and he immediately started drawing the landmarks of the Warwick district.

Many of his paintings have been featured in the Daily News and the Southern Downs Weekly.

Mr Hope is originally from England and he recalls being one of the children evacuated from the Manchester area two days before the start of the Second World War as his home area was considered at high risk to be bombed.

Mr Hope migrated to Australia in 1951, married wife Marj in 1960 at Mildura and together they operated the Umberumberka Creative Arts Centre at Armidale for many years.

His book, Hope Artist: Introduction to a man and his art, has 214 illustrations, starting with New South Wales places of interest in alphabetical order and then Queensland places of interest, followed by other states and a few drawings from England.

There is a spare page on the left of each drawing for notes and to ensure nothing of the clarity of the photos was lost by printing.

His first Queensland paintings in the book are of the Mary Poppins house at Allora.

There are paintings of Warwick landmarks, the Masonic Lodge (1912) and School of Arts (1897) from Yangan, the Anglican Church of All Saints at Clifton and the Old Cottage at Killarney.

Norfolk Island, Armidale and Warwick are the places most represented in the book.

Mr Hope has exhibited his art far and wide, including in England, Norfolk Island and Armidale, and he has an exhibition planned in Warwick next year.

The current book is his third. One was a joint effort with an historian in Armidale. Copies of the book are $30 at Hynes Newsagency, Warwick Regional Art Gallery or by sending a cheque to Dennis Hope, 6 Coulsell St, Warwick. Alternatively phone 4661 7636.