Beal showed artistic ability from an early age, but temporarily postponed his creative interests to enroll at university.

He first studied at Cornell University (naval architecture), where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and the Irving Literary Society.

His home haunts of the East River were the first subjects of his work; in Sibley Hall’s drafting bays he learned further technique as a budding naval architect.

Beal painted the beaches in Provincetown, Key West, Rockport, Atlantic City and Wellfleet, circus scenes and carnivals.

In November 1944, Reynolds and Gifford had a large joint exhibition at the Fitchburg Art Center (now Museum) in Fitchburg, MA, which included eighty-three oils, watercolors, and etchings that had been executed all over the world with subjects including Singapore, Trinidad, Samoa, China, Nassau, Egypt, Haiti, Cape Ann, Atlantic City, and Provincetown.

One curator summarized his life of excellence in a note tagged to his Eddyville paintings: Reynolds Beal helped drive American impressionism as the 20th century got underway.