Karl Schmidt was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1890. He studied art in England for a while, painting seascapes. At age 25, he moved to Santa Barbara. In 1918, he joined the Navy, serving in their Bureau of Aeronautics. He rose to the rank of Commander, and pioneered construction of lighter-than-air craft. While in the Navy, he continued to paint, and exhibited in cities in which he was stationed. Source: Artists in California 1786 - 1940, Edan Milton Hughes, 3d ed.