Frederick Chisnall 1887-1965 Below: Fred Chisnal (left) with fellow artist and friend, Carl Glen Bray
	"Alabama Hills"

Fred Chisnall emigrated to the new world from England. He first arrived in Canada where he worked as an engraver, and then on to Los Angeles where he worked for the LA Times. He studied art the the Art Institute of California, and then moved east to the desert, Rancho Mirage. He established an in-home gallery, and often painted and marketed his plein air paintings off the back of his pickup truck.

A chance encounter gained Frederick Chisnall some high praise from fellow artist and desert dweller, John W. Hilton. In the 1920's and 30's, Hilton ran an out-of-the-way desert gem shop and Chisnall asked if he could leave some paintings on consignment. A great friendship was born. The young Hilton agreed, and soon Fred Chisnall was sharing his painting textbooks from the Art Institute, and back room tutorials with Hilton followed. Later on, Hilton would write that he gained advice about painting from a host of masters, Maynard Dixon, Jimmy Swinnerton, Clyde Forsythe, but none was better than old Fred Chisnall. Hilton was also impressed that Fred was out successfully selling his work, an art, at the time, Hilton had not yet mastered.

Sources: The Man Who Captured Sunshine, by Katherine Ainsworth, 1978; Artists in California 1786 - 1940, Edan Milton Hughes, 3d ed. Photo courtesy of California desert journalist, Ann Japenga.