Painter Jamie Wyeth Reflects On His Chester County Upbringing For The Wall Street Journal

For 68-year-old painter Jamie Wyeth, Chadds Ford is home to a heritage of artistry, the former early-1800s schoolhouse he grew up in and a myriad of inspiration that has fueled his craft over the decades.

Now with a new exhibit on display all year at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Wyeth is looking all the way back to his first try at painting before he even turned 3, and a few of his recollections were recently featured in The Wall Street Journal.

He owes much of his craft to the family of painters who surrounded him and the legacies that preceded him, particularly that of his grandfather N.C. Wyeth of adventure book illustration fame, including “Treasure Island,” “The Knights of the Round Table” and “Robin Hood.”

And he gleaned much inspiration from his father’s and grandfather’s studios, as well as from roaming the railroad tracks and learning to drive and sail from a woman who would later break his heart.

Read more about the life and art of Chadds Ford native Jamie Wyeth in The Wall Street Journal here, then preview the exhibition and his take on it here.

Top image courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.