ich Jackson left Pittsburgh after high school and spent two years in vocational school studying Advertising Design. After graduation he decided to move to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to attend the acclaimed Art Institute. As an Art major he was required to take a photography course as part of the curriculum. He was taught how to develop film and print photos in the dark room. Rich definitely enjoyed photography, experiencing how the image goes from camera to paper. But he didn't really get deep into photography until he lived with two roommates one of which was a photographer and the other was photography major. Due to his competitive nature, he did not want to be the only one in the house that did not succeed. While he was still an Advertising Design major he worked in the photography lab mixing chemicals and teaching other students how to develop test strips and how to print photographs. He ran the black an white dark room for an hour each day. Subsequently, he gradually became more and more interested in photography.

For two years he focused on being the best student he could be. Rich felt his future to be uncertain since his family did not have means. So he dedicated himself to his studies and even dared his classmates to get better grades than him. He would actually go above and beyond what was required. For every one assignment he challenged himself to do three. If the assignment was to turn in two ads, Rich would complete and submit six ads! He lived each day in school as if it were his last. Because of all his hard work and dedication he received several awards and he was also voted Student Council President. He won Best Portfolio Award, the Marble Award which is the highest achievement award, and he also won a scholarship to the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, California. Sadly he had to admit, he flunked painting class because he could not afford the oil paints required for the course. He began entering shows such as the Coconut Grove Art Festival and the Ft. Lauderdale Festival of the Arts. Since he did not paint to sell his work, but just to compete with the other artists he had to come up with a way to pay for the rental of the tent, and fortunately for him, he received several ribbons which came with a monetary award which allowed him to recoup the money he spent to participate in the art shows. He started doing watercolors on canvas, which was not a common practice. Most of his favorite painters and illustrators used oil on canvas and Rich decided to use the same techniques using watercolors instead which had the added benefit of faster drying time. His work definitely stood out among the rest. He was interviewed by art critic Roger Hillberg of the Sun Sentinel who actually bought three of his paintings. He tried to paint subject matter that people would find unique. His first show consisted of paintings of historical Ft. Lauderdale from the 40's and the 50's and a series on famed actress, Rita Hayworth. He was awarded for his technique which was very realistic. Rich is a multi-talented artist and we see nothing but a bright future for this dynamic young man.

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