Gifford Beal (1879-1956) wanted to be an artist from a young age. He studied with William Merritt Chase (1845-1916) for 10 years from 1892; in New York City and at Chase's school in Shinnecock Hills, Long Island. His early work was characterised by sparkling colour and light carried by quick impressionist strokes. He exhibited widely and became an important figure in American Art during the 1920s and 1930s. Today his paintings are in many museums and private collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. The Palmer Museum of Art, Pennsylvania, held a recent exhibition of his work, click here for details Gifford Beal in Rockford