Her thesis investigated gender politics in art and cultural mores and taboos surrounding the representation of the male body. After high school Hood attended art school at St George Tech for two years without finishing her diploma, she then went to Italy for six months to study Sculpture and Italian language. Hood was inspired by her teacher at St George the famous sculptor Bert Flugelman.
Hood returned to art education as a mature age student in 1991 and spent 3 years studying painting at the National Art School, she continued her search at Sydney College of the Arts (University of Sydney) and attained her Undergraduate and Honours Degrees before doing her Masters of Visual Art.
Hood continues to be passionate about art education often describing her experience at Art School as a "gift". She tries to give back a little by teaching and conducts workshops and gallery talks.
During her 20 year painting career Hood has had countless solo exhibitions and is often included in group and theme exhibitions at museums and institutions.Hood was the winner of the 2002 Archibald Prize, the most prestigious painting award in Australia, with her portrait of the young pianist Simon Tedeschi. Hood was one of seven women winners in the long history of the award.
Hood had been a finalist the year before with her very first entry in Archibald Prize. The work -a watercolour on paper -of her brother in law the artist Matthÿs Gerber was remarkably the first watercolour on paper to be hung in the Archibald. Later Hood painted David Helfgott, Ben Quilty and in 2010 Michael Zavros which were also hung as finalist works.