Jack Barrett of St. Petersburg, is a Painter of some reknown. He spun his fabulous illustrations at the Evening Independent and the St. Pete times, and no doubt met Tom in the process.

Internationally renowned artist Jack Barrett, was born in Pittsburgh in 1929, Barrett started drawing at the age of seven adn never quit. He attended the Carnegie Institute in a special program for artistic youngsters and graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1955.

His work includes news feature illustration, sports cartoons, political caricatures, show business portraits, humorous art, as well as serious painting for various agencies, art studios, newspapers and magazines.

During the late 1960s, Barrett taught art and wrote two books of cartoons, "Hands Down" and "Laxative". He mixed commercial art project with his fine art paintings and won awards in all fields. His awards include first place for satirical art from the Pittsburgh Advertising Artists in 1959, first and third place in newspaper illustration for the St. Petersburg Times in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975, and first place in the Florida Newspaper Illustrations and Cartoonist Contest, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications in 1974 and 1985. Chicago and McGraw-Hill Inc. have published his work as well as Contemporary Graphic Artist, Comic Art & Caricature by Rpy Paul Nelson, Contemporary Books Inc., Kim & Mayfair Magazines of London, England and numerous others.

Barrett retired from St. Pete Times and Evening Independent in 19989 (90), after 20 years as an award-winning editorial illustrator, to take up life as a full-time artist.

His style ranges as widely as his subjects, from representationalism to free expressionism. "What art is about," Barrett said, "is to record a likeness or gesture in a dramatic spontaneous moment."