Richard Wallich knew he wanted to become a painter since he was a child. He studied art in his secondary school and at Eastern Illinois University. He then went to the American Academy of Arts in Chicago and studied figure drawing. He first sprinkled in realism but found the technique too time-consuming, taking up to many weeks to finish a painting. He began using a palette knife and obtained a looser, impressionistic approach which he has improved and enhanced for years. After university, he went to function as a graphic designer but never abstained from his dream of becoming a painter. He relocated to Rhode Island, where his father-in-law sold a few of his paintings, and he participated in various enormous art fairs. He spent more than 40 years and many hours practicing and improving his skill. ©RichardWallich/GratefulLicensing.com