Stephen Fishwick

Personal History

Growing up on a farm in Ohio, Fishwick fell in love with animals at a very early age. While drawing and painting them, he grew to appreciate their fragility. Fishwick took his first formal painting class at age ten, and it was in high school that his art first earned him accolades. With the persistence of his high school art teacher, he enrolled at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Less than a year later, he started working as a professional artist, drawing portraits, caricatures, and illustrations.

In 1996, Fishwick began expanding his artistic education by studying traditional drawing and painting under Jeff Watts at the Watts Atelier of the Arts in Southern California. Influenced by a wide range of renowned painters—from Norman Rockwell to Salvador Dali, John Singer Sargent to J.C. Leyendecker—Fishwick has created a style all his own. “Every day I fall in love with drawing the human face and form,” he says. “My sketchbooks are filled with drawings of life, from people to animals.”

It was in 2004 that Fishwick started combining his passion for music, people, and animals with his unique brand of high-energy speed-painting in a way that evoked a visceral response from his audiences.

In 2007, he produced a high-energy live-art painting show featuring endangered animals that he performed at the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The show was designed to educate and creatively inspire participation in the plight of endangered wildlife via an unforgettable explosion of art and imagination.

“Jimi”

Style and Influences

In a show he calls “Art Attack,” Fishwick transforms a blank canvas into an explosion of art and iconic images while being choreographed to music and dance. His energy is infectious and brings the audience to its feet, clapping and dancing along with Fishwick as he creates his magic on canvas. With riotous strokes of color, both from his brushes and his bare hands, he creates stunning images of wild energy in a matter of minutes.

His goal is always to share with the crowd the electric euphoria that he gets from painting live on stage, and his hope is to ignite that natural creative spirit in each of us. Fishwick has brought his high-energy performances to such locations as Japan, Beirut, Kuwait, Germany, Canada, New York, and Las Vegas.

Fishwick’s vision has led to the development of his For Life Collection of fine art—vivid canvasses of endangered animals that seem to have a life and energy all their own. “Our goal is for the For Life Collection to directly impact our conservation partners with financial support and a global reach in raising awareness of the endangerment of these beautiful animals,” he says.

Proceeds from paintings sold from the For Life Collection and the Painting for Life shows go to support Fishwick’s wildlife conservation partners, such as the San Diego Zoo, Wild Wonders, and the San Diego Humane Society. Fishwick has made it his personal mission to bring art, awareness, and ultimately financial support to causes worth supporting.

“Albert”

Accomplishments

• His philanthropic endeavors have raised over $1 million for different charities since 2004. Second, Fishwick has been named the newest Disney Fine Artist, an honor that will allow him to paint Disney characters and make his art available in Disney parks and galleries throughout the world.
• The Fishwick art brand continues to astonish the world with his high quality work in countless galleries and public art spaces. He has been licensed by the estates of such transcendent icons as Elvis Presley and Bob Marley to reproduce their images commercially, and his designs have been merchandised on numerous commercial products such as posters, puzzles, and apparel.
• His business experience includes nearly two decades of producing artwork for corporate America, with professional clients that include The National Football League, Microsoft, Apple, Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, Honda, Anheuser-Busch, Disney, and Busch Gardens Florida and San Diego.

“Dark Side of the Moon”