The wildlife art of Keri Fisher
“Don’t bother becoming a professional artist, because only very few can turn art into a lucrative career,” a high-school art teacher once told me. My impressionable young mind assumed she knew what she was talking about, and I turned to my other passion: science. Although my life as an artist began in my youth, I have always had a love for science and nature, so I put art on the back burner to complete a Bachelor of Science degree followed by a Master of Science in geology. During this chapter of my life, art was never far from my mind, but it was difficult finding the time for it. The urge to work on my art finally bubbled to the surface in late 2019. I realized it was important to take the time to begin painting seriously again…even if it wasn’t going to turn into a “lucrative career.”
I am a wildlife artist/photographer based in Ottawa, Canada. My husband and I travel extensively, and I am lucky enough to be able to paint solely from my own reference photos. I have always loved animals and nature, and being able to travel and photograph wildlife all over the world has been a dream come true.
Right now I enjoy working with coloured pencils, pastels, and acrylic paints. I prefer creating paintings with either bare or subtle, blended backgrounds that don’t distract from the focus animal. Each piece I work on takes me back to when I took the photo of that particular individual, and how I felt connecting with it for those few moments. I want the people who view my work to also connect to the subject in the piece, and get drawn in by every hair, scale, or feather. Although I consider myself a realism artist, I find myself working towards hyperrealism, as I find both styles to be extremely challenging! Being able to really nail realistic details is always the most important goal when I paint a piece. Every piece teaches me something new, be it how to improve my own technique, a better understanding of colour, or how to better use the medium I work with. I always strive to create the most realistic paintings I can and I enjoy watching my style evolve!
And here is my Instagram account: @kerifisherart
