Hedley Williams Waycott, (British American, 1865-1938) Mountains ablaze with the light of the setting sun, signed, oil on canvas, 50.5cm x 76cm. Hedley Waycott was born in the small town of Corsham, England in 1865 and began to work as a jeweler’s apprentice when he was 14 years old. In 1882, Waycott immigrated to the United States and settled in Peoria, IL. Unable to secure employment as a jeweler, Waycott began working at a fine arts supply and framing store. He eventually became the owner of the store and, through this position, became a much-valued mentor for young artists in the area. In spite of having no formal painting experience, Waycott began to dabble in landscape painting in the late 1880’s. In 1904, he began to devote all of his time to paintings and became one of the most well-known and popular working artists in Peoria at the time. He regularly participated in local group and solo exhibitions, in addition to various regional and national shows