Description
James P. Fisher was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on February 25, 1912, the last of three children of Walter F. Fisher and Anna Briggs Fisher. His mother was gently tolerant of her youngest child’s non-conforming ways because she shared his interest in art. He credits much of his artistic success to her encouragement during his early years.
At the age of 17, Jim enrolled for the fall semester at The Wilmington Academy of Art (now Delaware Art Center). At the same time he took on his first full time job, a clerk in a drugstore, to pay his tuition and purchase art supplies. He studied under Gayle P. Hoskins, Frank E. Schoonover and N. C. Wyeth who were already nationally-known artists.
In 1939 he married Irene Green, a registered nurse, and they moved to a small farm in Chester County, Pa. Here he had the opportunity to pursue his life-long interest in wildlife. The Pennsylvania countryside teemed with native birds and animals and in addition Jim raised quail, pheasants and puddle ducks for use as models.
