Artist, Art educator, husband to wife Elizabeth Sawvell and father to five exceptional children. ​

I was born in Hartsville SC, close to my grandparents’ home in Mcbee SC. I was raised in Columbia SC and attended Wildewood High School. I moved to Illinois in 1974 and attended McHenry County College, where I studied studio arts and art history. I completed my undergraduate education at the University of South Carolina as an Art Education Major, and worked at the Thomas Cooper Library as a digital assistant of rare books. My professional life has been a mix of administrative and creative endeavors. The early part of my career I was a retail buyer for Belk department store chain and managed a variety of retail stores. My dream was to become an educator and teach art education. My true calling and passion is to help the students achieve their highest potential. Art is truly the language of mankind: with art, students are free to create and express who they are, and pursue their own happiness as an artist.