Gary Fisher: Art Changed My Life

From Cecile Oreste of danceDC. You can follow her on Twitter @dance_DC.

Local artist Gary Fisher knows firsthand that life can change in an instant. After stopping by the Corcoran Gallery for lunch one day many years ago, he picked up a brochure for adult art classes.

According to Fisher, what looked like a fun way to spend an evening or two ended up changing his life. He discovered a passion for art, entered into early retirement from the U.S. Department of Justice and started a second career as a professional artist.

Since then, Fisher has become an active member of the D.C. arts community. In addition to exhibiting his work at Philip Morton Gallery in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, as well as local galleries such as gallery plan b and Studio Gallery, he serves as the art director of The Results Galleries at Results, The Gym and is one of the founding members of Mid City Artists.

Fisher, like many of the other 38 Mid City Artists, is currently preparing for Open Studios on May 21 and May 22. The event welcomes the community to tour member artists’ studios in the Dupont-Logan neighborhood.

Fisher is also helping to organize a Mid City Artists show at Room & Board on 14th Street NW. An opening reception is scheduled for June 16 and the work of several Mid City Artists will be on display at the home furnishings store from June 16 until June 20.

As well as exhibiting his work at local venues, Fisher donates about six or seven pieces each year to community organizations. He regularly contributes his paintings to Food & Friends, the Whitman-Walker Clinic as well as the Sitar Arts Center. He has also donated time and art supplies to local after-school programs.

As for his work, Fisher says that color has always been his thing. He most recently worked on a series of bright sensual fruit pieces and now is working on colorful abstract paintings for his upcoming shows. Fisher often experiments with different mediums of paint such as oil and acrylic, incorporating materials into the paint to add rich texture.

Whether he is creating abstract work or more straightforward pieces, Fisher enjoys using photographs and actual models as inspiration. “This stuff doesn’t just come out of my head,” he explained.

During his creative process, he also enjoys the company of other creative minds. “Painting by yourself can be very lonely and hermit-like,” he said. “I’m a very social person and I like being around people. I need their feedback and the synergy of having other artists around. I need the contact to feed my creative juices.”

For more information about Fisher, please visit his website.