A native-born Chicagoan, Jack Nixon graduated in 1975 from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. While at New Trier he excelled in history, art, and technical, architectural, and engineering drawing.
Mr. Nixon developed formal composition and the aesthetics of positive and negative space at the Cleveland Institute of Art, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design Communication. Shortly afterwards, he received a number of merits, including two national design and calligraphy awards from Communication Arts Magazine in San Francisco.
After returning to Chicago in 1984, Jack began to illustrate private homes and public buildings on the North Shore. He also began to notice the serious pride and appreciation Chicagoans had for their architecture. Not having perceived Chicago's architecture in his youth, books he read, lectures and walking tours he took of the city revealed Chicago's heritage and historical significance for the first time. Architectural photography was visible, as was art composed in water color, pen & ink, and oils.