Christopher Volpe moved to New England from Long Island, New York to earn a graduate degree in poetry at the University of New Hampshire. He worked for about 15 years as a professional writer and taught college English and poetry before falling in love with American landscape painting while teaching a class in art history.

Drawing upon the New England landscape, his work has roots in 19th century traditions such as Barbizon and Tonalism yet extends to abstraction through a contemporary 20th/21st century sensibility. His paintings are exhibited and sold through regional galleries and juried shows. He was nominated for the Seacoast Spotlight award for Outstanding Representational Painter in 2010.

An award-winning art historian, he teaches the history of art at New Hampshire Institute of Art. He lives in Hollis, NH with his wife Anna Birch and their four-year-old son, the Magical Max.