Elliott was born in Missouri
moving to Dallas, Texas with his family as a boy. He graduated from
high school in Dallas in 1928 and then studied architecture at John
Tarleton Agricultural College in Stephenville, Texas. Elliott was a
student of Olin Travis and Ruby Stone at the Dallas Art Institute.
By 1932 he was winning awards for art in Dallas exhibitions and had
numerous solo exhibitions. Prior to World War II, he attended the
Art Students League of New York followed by teaching at the Dallas
Art institute and working as a commercial artist in Dallas. He was a
staff artist during WW II in the Army Air Corps. He had a long
career as a commercial artist while exhibiting in both regional and
national exhibitions. He was a member of the Dallas Artists
League, Lone Star Printmakers, Southwestern Watercolor Society,
Texas Fine Arts Association, and the Texas Watercolor Society.