Although not born with a brush in his hand, Jaqua got off to a relatively early start by hooking up with a gang of arty eighth graders when he began drawing portraits of anyone that would sit still.  He was fortunate enough that the Public High School he attended had not only an Art Department, consisting of the two or three dedicated teachers, but that they knew how to pass on the fundamentals of the craft with enthusiasm, thereby forever instilling some of their students with a probing passion of the craft. He and his buddies discovered artists together, his first heroes being T. Lautrec and Eddy Degas, but many more added later, eventually to the point that the administration is pointed to creativity itself rather than individual styles or genres.

Through the four years out of high school were spent in the military, away from the delights of the art world, the brew bubbled and the interest never waned.  His first two years of college found him not just in the art department once more, but also studying literature, and he selected that as a major for his last two years, graduating from San Francisco State University
with a degree in English. 

Upon graduation however, he began to paint again, and it was not long before it took up most of his free time.  That is, at night, after work, and on weekends when he wasn’t partying.  This agenda continued, interrupted only by trips through galleries and art festivals.  Eventually, he dropped the latter format and has now focused on being represented by galleries and consultants around the country.  While working in a traditional style at this time, he continues to absorb the various influences that float through the fertile world of art, and may adopt a relevant turn at a time that seems appropriate.  He is, indeed, a fortunate person.