At age 12 and living in Claremont, California, world-renowned artist, John Fisher, was inspired to pursue sculpting monumental works during his travels throughout Europe and the Middle East with his family, seeing firsthand the great masterpieces. When John graduated from Claremont High, he had completed a portfolio of work including a series of life-size clay sculptures. After moving to the Bay area, he produced numerous figurative bronzes, supporting his endeavors by painting watercolors and large-scale murals. From there, he found his way to Philadelphia, where he began his fascination with marble, eventually moving to Italy and founding Pietrasanta (Holy Stone), home to an international artist colony.
Over the years, John has gained tremendous experience handling stone, transporting it by sea and land, and carving and installing it anywhere in the world. His unique style of carving is rapidly becoming a diminishing art form. The art work he most admires includes the haunting mystery of "Stonehenge," the passion of Camille Claudel and the power of Michelangelo.
In addition to figurative sculpture, John has extensive experience with blacksmithing, ceramics and glass-blowing; he has illustrated children's books and helped to build a 40-foot, 30-ton sail boat, creating all of the bronze alloyed hardware, including the anchor and wench. His work on a huge mural at his daughter's elementary school in Italy won first place for school projects, awarded by Italy's President Champi at the Presidential Palace in Rome.
John's work is displayed in public and private collections throughout Europe and the United States. He has been featured on the National Geographic program "Zip Codes" and on PBS's "The Lonely Planet" segment on "Tuscany." John has been profiled in Sculpture magazine, and the French publication, Le Mausolee.
John and his wife, Sandy Oppenheimer, a mixed media painter, and their daughter Allegra, have lived in Fort Bragg, California since August 2005, after having spent nearly 20 years living in Querceta, Tuscany. While residing in Italy, he carved more than 200 sculptures, many monumental in scale.