Born in the capital city of Tallahassee, Florida, William Anthony Barton III started by drawing cartoon characters as an adolescent, occasionally creating collages and still-lives of the things he enjoys, up until high school. There he was confronted by an art teacher with the realization that unless he created his own characters, drawing animations wouldn't garner much attention within the art community. Since this meeting, William began rendering character studies, starting with his friends' to practice likenesses, then incorporated more of a back-story into his artwork. An extensive history of sports in his life outside of art influences most of his subject matter and the stories he chooses to tell. William feels this is his way of bridging the gap between these two entities in his life personally and in the world nation-wide. Just as athletes use their athletic abilities and bodies to create a better life for themselves, he does the same by combining his talent of creating art and his appeal of physical competition. Not only is it an expression of himself, but it also sparks interest from non sports fans so they can begin to see them as normal people like us all; as opposed to spoiled and entitled entertainers. All while progressing in school, William has shown works in Tallahassee, FL at the LeMoyne Arts Center, Phyllis Strauss Gallery and 621 Annex and in Quincy, FL at the Gadsden Arts Center and Museum. Upon graduation from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts, William will finally begin a series of work he's proud to consider the debut of his portfolio.