When Scott and Teresa Fischer met at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1994, his focus was on fine art and hers was on illustration. But after graduating, they sort of flipped their interests.
Teresa is recognized for her whimsical fine art oil paintings, while Scott is best known for his art illustrations. He may have recognized his true calling as a child, though.
“I actually wrote a paper in 4th grade about how I wanted to do the art for Dungeons & Dragons,” says Scott. He got his wish. Today, his artwork can be found in Dungeons & Dragons books, Magic: The Gathering cards, and in World of Warcraft and other blockbuster gaming enterprises as well. He’s also an instructor at the world-famous Illustration Master Class and SmArt School, inspiring and helping future generations of artists.
He says there was never any doubt about becoming an artist. His mother, Marie Fischer, is also an artist, and her work hangs in galleries on Cape Cod. “I grew up in a very creative and supporting household,” says Scott.
With a father in the Air Force, he and his family would move every three or four years. “At every new base, I would just draw to keep myself entertained and I found making art was a nice way to make friends as well.”
Teresa also found companionship in art. “I was always a very creative kid,” she says. “I grew up in Indiana on a little family farm and there weren’t many kids around. I had to entertain myself with all my imaginary friends, but by the time I was in middle school, I really understood the power of drawing and painting and being able to put what was in my head on paper.”
Many of her award-winning paintings are actually reminiscent of her childhood. “I just wanted to paint my bliss and paint what excited me,” says Teresa. “I'm really drawn to objects, so if you look through my artwork, you'll see that.”
She believes objects, especially nostalgic objects, have a story to tell, and she uses them as characters that come to life in playful visual stories. “I set the stage, kind of like setting the stage for a theatrical experience,” she says. In one of her paintings, she pays homage to Lyman Frank Baum, the author who penned the Wizard of Oz and so many other wonderful stories. She incorporated a hot air balloon and even flying monkeys into the scene!
The couple, who have been married since 1996 and have a 19-year-old daughter, Sarah, reside in Belchertown, MA, but will soon be in New Jersey. Their incredible works of art will be on display at the Wentworth Gallery at Short Hills during the month of March, and, on March 18th, patrons will be able to meet them there.
“When I saw that Wentworth was representing artists like Paul Stanley, Joe Satriani and Rick Allen who are literally rock stars I went to see at arenas - oh my God!” says Scott. “That, along with the gallery approaching me for fantasy art, speaks volumes.”
Fantasy art in general has been exploding, he says, and the fact that Wentworth had that level of vision and wanted to embrace it was amazing. “Ask the people who grew up on Star Wars and on The Hobbit movies and all of that stuff. As they reach midlife, they want to touch the things that they loved as children and that’s exactly what we're doing.”
Scott and Teresa love being able to present their artwork as a team. “I can't even tell you how rewarding it is for us to have a show hanging together in the same space with our diverse styles” says Scott. “It's really magical and something special.”
Adds Teresa, “The fact is we want to get our work out there to the world and to the right people. My work has that little bit of lighthearted whimsy to it and Wentworth thought that would be perfect for their gallery. Bringing us together as a team was also something they knew their clientele would enjoy.”
The duo is looking forward to meeting the people who appreciate their artwork and will be thrilled to make some new fans too. So, come out to Wentworth Gallery to see their unforgettable works of art, and on March 18, meet the artists themselves!
To find out more about Wentworth Gallery and the artists, go to https://www.wentworthgallery.com/show_schedule.html.
