Christopher Willett, born in 1959, is a Bucks County painter with a family lineage dating back to ancestors arriving in this country aboard the Mayflower and Victory, settling Plymouth. The family history is interesting, as another Willett ancestor, Augustine Willett was a Captain of historic repute under the command of General Washington, and is recorded in history books. Additionally, in more recent history, Willett artisans became renowned for their designs and beautiful works in stained glass that adorn the Bryn Athen Cathedral- of the Pit Cairn Estate. Willett, is also a descendant of the renowned painter Edward Hicks, known for his work entitled Peaceable Kingdom, and whom after the Hicks Art Center of Bucks County Community College was named.
From early childhood to the present, Willett, a natural talent carried on the tradition in the arts. Currently as a painter in the New Hope, Bucks County Impressionist style- he works full time in the mediums of oil on board or canvas, and watercolor. His recent work has been compared to Edward Redfield both in subject and style. Earlier works by Willett are reminiscent of the photographic representational influence of Andrew Wyeth- his revered friend and mentor. Upon reviewing Chris’s portfolio that spans 3 decades, one can see the gradual evolution and development of Chris’ own unique method and artistic language- he portrays the landscape and daily lives of the people that live and have lived in this locale- spanning the region from Bucks County, New Hope, Lambertville, New Jersey, French Town, Point Pleasant, and such- still the most popular subject matter of local contemporary impressionists today.
Working from his studios in Lahaska and Plumsteadville, Chris captures the beauty and simplicity of an earlier time- horse drawn carriages, families working together, villages and farms, and friends taking walks together- and many are depicted in recognizable historic settings. Chris prefers to use a color pallet of rich warm earth tones; consistent with the traditional Bucks County Impressionist style.
Chris attended Hartnell University in California, and Philadelphia Academy of Fine Art. Chris served in the U.S. Navy for 6 years aboard an aircraft carrier and is a decorated veteran. Chris’s work is in corporate collections, and in many private collections.
Written by Kathryn Dalton with permission of the artist.
