In Honor of Jim Snook
Jim Snook Cartoons & Two Rivers Art Gallery PRESS RELEASE October 14 2024 1 Comment
The Two Rivers Art Gallery and Gift Shop in Chiloquin Oregon is honored to be chosen by the family of the late Jim Snook to sell the remaining work of this beloved Pacific Northwest Cartoonist/Artist.
Jim passed away in 2021 after a long successful life touring all over North America and Europe selling his creations in Shows and Fairs. His hilarious cartoons conveyed a family life well lived in the outdoors, portraying his experiences hunting, fishing, and RVing as dominant themes. His snarky animals added their own perspective about the human condition with side comments and sneaky actions. You may not know his name, but you likely know his work from seeing it on some one’s wall somewhere at some time!
Jim knew he was and artist from childhood. He served in the Air Force, earned a degree in Art Education and spent many years teaching Art at Eagle Point High School in Oregon. As his cartoons grew in demand, he left teaching to pursue his heart’s desire. Along with his wife as his business manager, they built his career while raising a creative, loving family in Rocky Point Oregon where much of the family still resides. It was their home for 40 years of a 66-year marriage.
The Two Rivers Art Gallery is a non-profit, all volunteer, Artist Cooperative that echoes their same family values as expressed in our motto "for the love of Art and Artists". Members’ work shown there is a celebration of individual creativity and community spirit. Who better to share his legacy?
Beginning October 19th, 2024 there will be a featured Memorial Show with family memories shown among his high-quality prints, cards, and posters for sale. At the close of the show a “Snooks Corner” will continue sales until all inventory is gone. Sales will be first come-first served. Some prints will have added cost because they are rare now and a few are hand signed. Because Jim’s Fine Art Prints are not duplicatable at the affordable prices they have long been sold for, his Estate has expressed no plans to create new re-prints. It is possible that some original ink drawings may be parted with in the future for serious fans and collectors. The family and Gallery will provide authentication of all works.
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Some posters and prints can be ordered on his website at jimsnookstudio.com. Items may also be ordered through the Gallery by phone at 541-783-3326 but we encourage you to come on in and visit!
The wonderful detail and quality of Jim’s Art is best seen in person! We are located at
140 S.First Ave., Chiloquin, OR in our beautiful Community Center. We are about a 35 minute drive from Crater Lake National Park! Check out our website at 2riversartgallery.com.
Remembering Jim Snook September 23 2021 11 Comments
James Franklin Snook left this world on September 13, 2021. He was at home until the end, surrounded by his family – his wife of sixty-six years, Loretta, his four kids, and most of his grandkids, including greats & great-greats.Jim was a lifelong artist. He told stories about how his mom would iron paper grocery bags for him to use as drawing paper when he was a kid. One of his first paying jobs was to paint signs for the neighbors: “eggs for sale.”
From there he branched out to his first love: oil and acrylic paintings, capturing all manner of landscapes and wildlife from around the western United States. He was always proudest of using each medium to get just the right “painterly qualities” in his pieces.
He returned from serving in the Air Force, a 35mm camera in hand. Whether he was making photos to use as inspirations for his paintings or just for their own sake, he spent many hours over the next few decades out shooting landscapes or wildlife.
He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in art education, and spent many years teaching high school art at Eagle Point. He sold his first cartoon in 1979, and quit his teaching job shortly after to pursue the cartoon business full-time. His cartoons conveyed a life well-lived: years of skipping school to go fishing, heading up to Tillamook Burn with his brothers to go deer hunting, camping out with his family. They captured his goofy sense of humor, love of nature, and keen eye for the human condition.
He left a vibrant legacy of creativity and appreciation for all forms of art: a generation of art students, a decades-long relationship with loyal cartoon fans, and a family chock-full of artists, musicians, and photographers. We will remember him on the deck at home in Rocky Point, Nikon camera trained on the latest backyard bird. We’ll remember him in front of the fireplace, shuffling out chords on his old Martin, a sense of rhythm all his own. We’ll remember him with a Sharpie in hand, bringing a snarky mouse or a curious bear to life with a few strokes on paper. We’ll remember him gently giving us tips on sketching or painting or just how to bring our observations to life.
Jim will be sorely missed, but he left the world a better place in so many ways.
Jim felt so lucky to be able to live the life he did, and to be able to make art for you all and to bring a little more laughter to the world. We know you're here because Jim was a part of your lives. We invite you to share your memories and stories in the comments below. 