In elementary school his vivid imagination, nonstop reading, and daydreaming often got him in the hot seat. Jahni soon became known as the boy who could draw. His first art victory was won as an eighth grader at Davis Hills Middle School In high school he excelled in every subject, math being his greatest challenge.  During this time his creative arena expanded to writing and drama Upon graduation from high school, Jahni attended Alabama A&M University in Normal, AL. As a focused wide-eyed dreamer of a college student he was an active member of the Thespian Society and President’s Scholar’s Society. Restless with creative energy, he won the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Contest then wrote several stage plays including a screenplay called The Darken.  The response to the work showed the artist how art as a sensual medium in any form could serve as a means for inspiration and education.    Dedication and love of the arts inspired him to graduate Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in Commercial and Advertising Art and a minor in English.   Soon after graduation he realized that one of his college instructors was right in terms of his being a fine artist rather than a commercial artist. After working as a freelance commercial artist for some time, his own fine art work began to take precedent.  From that time he has worked as a fine artist and art educator, oftentimes utilizing art as therapy with organizations such as Children’s Advocacy centers, Hospice Caring House, and Youth-In-Action.  While living in Chester, PA he spent time with artists Andrew Turner, Bill Dandridge, Cal Massey and others.

  Since that time he has won numerous awards in the area of art, earned a living as a full time artist, had work featured in a major motion picture, earned an M. ED. in Art Education, Studied with muralists Joshua Sarantitis, and worked on one of the largest projects in Arizona’s history of public art and moved back to his native Huntsville, AL. For most of his career, the artist has been about the mission of bringing art to everyday people, believing that we should hold this truth to be self evident, that all are created sacred, endowed with an inalienable right to greatness.