John Knapp-Fisher

Who is John Knapp-Fisher?

John Knapp-Fisher is a British painter known particularly for his depictions of the coast of Pembrokeshire, West Wales. He has worked from his studio in Croesgoch since 1967. He has exhibited his paintings across Europe and also Africa and North America. In 1992 he was elected a member of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art.

John Knapp-Fisher was the son of Arthur Bedford Knapp-Fisher, Professor of Architecture at London's Royal College of Art. John was educated at the Maidstone College of Art where he studied graphic design. Subsequently he worked in exhibition design and theatre design, but also began painting. In 1965 he moved to Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Knapp-Fisher claims he paints every day. "I tell students to do something every day – even if it’s a quick thumbnail sketch... Rather like a dancer has to practise every day, a painter has to oil the hinges by doing little drawings." He prefers to paint from notes and drawings in his sketchbooks, rather than from photographs. As a result his favorite subjects are local to his studio, for example Porthgain Harbour.

Knapp-Fisher's largest exhibition to date was in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he displayed over 60 paintings.