Jackson was born in Columbia, Tennessee.  After serving in the U. S. Navy for four years, he attended the Atlanta College of Art, receiving his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in 1974 and his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia in 1978.  Immediately after receiving his degree from UGA Jackson returned to the Atlanta College of Art as an adjunct professor in printmaking. While at the Atlanta College of Art he developed the papermaking/book arts component of the printmaking curriculum. In 1981 Jackson moved to Thomson, Georgia where he opened a printmaking studio. From 1981 through 1994, Jackson worked as exhibition designer and preparator at the Madison Morgan Cultural Center in Madison Georgia, eventually becoming Director of Visual Arts.

Jackson joined the Fine Art Department Faculty at Augusta State University in 1994 and during his tenure headed the printmaking area and served as the Fine Arts Center Gallery Director.  Since 2001 Jackson has been a full time studio artist and part time professor at The University of Georgia, Lamar Dodd School of Art.

Jackson has had solo shows at Broad Street Gallery, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Athens, Georgia; the Mary Pauline Gallery, Augusta, Georgia; The Atlanta College of Art Gallery, Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, Georgia; Chattahoochee Valley Art Center, LaGrange, Georgia; Piedmont College, Demorast, Georgia; Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia; LaGrange College, LaGrange, Georgia; Colquitt County Art Center, Moultrie, Georgia; Virginia Intermont College, Bristol, Virginia; Madison Morgan Cultural Center, Madison, Georgia; and Biggin Hall Gallery, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama; among others.

Some of his group exhibitions include Works on Paper, The Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, Georgia; Artists in Georgia, The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia; International Print Competition, Pratt Graphics Center, New York, New York; LaGrange National Competition, LaGrange, Georgia; Miami Graphics Biennial, Metropolitan Museum and Art Center, Miami, Florida; The Boston Printmaker National Competition, Lincoln, Massachusetts; and International Papermakers Exhibition, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts.

Jackson’s professional involvement includes being an Executive Member, Board of Trustees, The Madison Morgan Cultural Center, Member of the Advisory Board, the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, Augusta Georgia, and is President of the Board of Trustees, Activities Council of Thomson, Thomson Georgia.

Jackson’s work is in numerous public as well as private collections including

The Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, Georgia; The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia; The Library of Congress, Fine Print Collection, Washington DC; Morris Museum of Art, Augusta Georgia; Chattahoochee Valley Art Museum, LaGrange Georgia; Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, Louisiana; Lamar Dodd Art Center, LaGrange, Georgia; King and Spalding, Atlanta Georgia; Milliken Industries, LaGrange, Georgia; Trust Company Bank, Atlanta, Georgia; Regions Bank, Augusta, Georgia; Morgan Keegan, Augusta, Georgia.