Travis Hinton's interest in art began at home. His father, Robert Hinton, is also a professional artist and made the arts a strong part of his son's development. Those early lessons drew Travis to the high school art room and into his collegiate studies at the University of South Dakota. At the University of South Dakota he received his BFA in ceramics and art education. He also received his MFA in ceramics from the University of Kansas in 2003. Travis is currently a ceramic artist and art educator in Sioux Falls, SD.

Travis takes on different methods in the creation of his ceramics. He uses high-fire reduction, salt fired or wood fired methods. His most recent work explores the relationships between wood ash glazes and colored clay fried in a salt kiln. Travis can achieve a wide range of colors and textures depending on the different types of ashes he uses in his glazes. Each batch of glaze can result in a one-of-a-kind piece, depending on the type of tree or plant burned to create the ashes.