Born in New Jersey, Gamble became nationally known for his floral landscape paintings of California, especially poppies and lupines. He was one of the leaders of the California plein-air movement and considered the Dean of the Santa Barbara artists. After training in Paris, he opened a studio in San Francisco but relocated to Santa Barbara after his studio was lost in the earthquake fire of 1906. He painted in Arizona including scenes of the Grand Canyon, but his reputation was for vibrant wild flower paintings, influenced by the poppy fields of French Impressionist Claude Monet. He also painted coastal views of Pacific Ocean sunsets. One of his closest painting companions was Elmer Wachtel. A giant among California impressionists.