Resident landscape painter and Newtown native Craig Hackett was born in Somers Point, New Jersey in 1939. During World War II, the family moved to Philadelphia so that his father a machinist by trade, could work in a defense plant to support the family while assisting the war effort. Along with his younger brother and sister Craig was raised in Philadelphia and lived there until he joined the US Air Force in 1957 after high school. His four year enlistment was spent serving in Texas, New York, & Iceland. While serving most of his time in New York, Craig took advantage of an opportunity to attend Mitchell College of LIU for evening sessions and did so until he shipped out to Iceland in 1960. His tour of duty in Iceland placed him at a remote radar site at the edge of the Arctic Circle, overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean and the treacherous Denmark Straits. In his spare time he studied photography with a fellow serviceman and gained an appreciation for the varied expressions of violent weather and the beautiful earth tones that dominate the scenery of that rugged land. These memories would one day enable him to feature these dramatic values in his paintings.
In the mid 1970's Craig decided he wanted to try his hand at painting. He began with oil pastels and within a year switched to acrylics with the expectation that this path would eventually lead him to watercolors for which he harbored a secret yearning to try. After a few years the urge to paint with watercolors became irresistible and he promptly became addicted after his initial attempt. Consequently, Craig has focused on this medium for the past thirty plus years and considers it essential to produce the results he desires for his paintings of historic homes, churches and Bucks County landscapes. Being mostly self-taught, Craig's distinct style incorporates bold color and contrast in his watercolors and acrylics which evoke a sense of energy and drama while offering the viewer a feeling of familiarity. His love of gardening and nature is evident in the whimsical landscaping found in many of his commissioned works. Craig's original watercolors can be seen on permanent display at our gallery on 2 South State Street as well as assorted signed & numbered giclee, limited edition prints, and greeting cards.