Christopher S. Duncklee could always see what some could not. As a boy, he could see geometry in the rigging and symmetry in the hulls of the ships docked in his hometown of Stonington, Connecticut.

From the majestic tall ships of Mystic Seaport, to the simple wooden fishing trawlers at Stonington harbor, in his mind’s eye Chris could bring the hidden essence of these beautiful vessels to life.

Today, in his historical maritime paintings, Chris once again brings the elegance of the draggers and other ships to life - in tender, vibrant colors and crisp, luminous lines. Influenced by the unlikely combination of the works of Stonington, Connecticut’s Sea Captain Ellery Thompson and New Hampshire’s luminist Maxfield Parrish - reflecting his two New England homes - Chris’ art has a primitive yet dimensional quality.

From his first excursion into maritime portraiture - in crayon on his bedroom wall at the age of three - through childhood watercolors, adolescent pen and ink and acrylics, to his current expedition in oil, Chris is essentially self-taught.

In March 1995, Chris won the “Viewers Choice Award” at the Mystic Art Association Members Show in Mystic, Connecticut for his oil painting “So Ends the Voyage, The Wreck of the Whaling Bark Wanderer." He has exhibited in various banks and restaurants throughout New England and under the auspices of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, the City of Boston  hosted a two week solo exhibition of Chris’ work at the First Expressions Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts in August 1996.

From this successful show came the opportunity to create his unique bow-first painting of the U.S.S. Constitution -- U.S.S. Constitution 1997: 200 Years -- completed in collaboration with Boston’s Office of Cultural Affairs. This distinguished painting, commemorating “Old Ironsides” 200th Birthday Celebration when she sailed again on her own merit for the first time in over 100 years, hung in Government Center in Boston during the summer festivities of 1997.

Chris’ painting, Old Mystic and article entitled "Olé Old Mystic", The Birth and Rebirth of a Stonington Fishing Dragger” recently appeared in the January-February, 2002 edition of Wooden Boat Magazine.

Chris lives in Hillsboro, New Hampshire. To balance the often self-centered and alone process of painting, Chris enjoys the freedom of music and the camaraderie of musicians; he plays both cello and bass guitar.

His maritime oils favor the older wooden ships but also include the Yankee steamships, Navy vessels and a variety of New England fishing boats and coasting schooners. Chris’ other great passions are the hills and lakes of New Hampshire, which he also paints in similarly devoted and affectionate tones.