Dale William Nichols (1904-1995), Nebraskan-born atypical Regionalist painter, designer, lithographer, and illustrator, Nichols also practised commercial art, doing lettering and advertisements, and designing packaging.
" Though opposed to European modernism, he moved past the confines of traditional academic painting by creating surreal and imaginative works. Nichols was interested in Freudian concepts, and explored his spiritual beliefs through imagery of the natural world, especially the theme of the sun. " --Zenobia Grant Wingate
In "A philosophy of esthetics", his first book, he set out his theories on art and advocates raising the standards of art in illustration and advertising.