Copperfield man creates fine art

Copperfield Estates resident and artist Ed Fischer stands by one of his paintings,

By ANN PARKS
CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT
You may never see one of Ed Fischer's paintings hanging in New York 's Metropolitan Museum of Art but that doesn't mean his work is unworthy of attention.
Fischer, 78, has spent the better part of his life coming to terms with his talent and honing it to the fine art it is today.
Most of his early attempts at art were lackluster at best and never met with much enthusiasm, he said.
Most of my art school grades were average," said Fischer said of his only art experience in elementary school.
It wasn't until years later that I learned to let go of my ego and let God guide me. Then I really began to paint. I wanted to do oil painting. I love fine art, and I've witnessed a lot of nature and wanted to reproduce it if I could."
Fischer feels God gave him his talent for painting and that he has a responsibility to use his talent to glorify Him in return.
A resident of Copperfield Estates Senior Independent Living Community, Fischer spends most of his free time creating landscapes, skyscapes and seascapes.
Fischer started painting with oils in 1965.
Pastels and acrylics are too fast for me," he said. And I don't paint people. I have trouble with them. I've tried painting a couple and that's just not my forte."
Fischer traveled extensively, took many photographs of inspiring landscapes and collected memorable images to use in his art work.
I've sold a few paintings but mainly the family grabs them up before they get sold," he said.
He showed about 50 canvasses at Copperfield Estates' annual Spring Fling Art Show in late March.
As General Sales Manager, Emile Gourieux put it, Ed is our star artist."
Unlike most painters, Fischer is completely self-taught.
He never had a formal lesson or even a how-to" book. He just picked up a brush and started.
It's just a thing I naturally do," he said.
Painting isn't the only thing Fischer loves. He is passionate about classical music and considers himself an aficionado of fine food and wine. He is a gourmet cook and sometimes uses the kitchen at Copperfield Estates to whip up some of his specialties.
Fischer is also passionate about his three children, all of whom he says are extremely talented.
And in a city where home bred is rare, Fischer is a true Houstonian.
Born at Methodist Hospital in downtown Houston, he has a commemorative brick inscribed with his room number and his nurse's and doctor's names, a remnant from the now torn-down building.
There are places you can go to take lessons," Fischer said about painting, but I'm really not sure about that. If you have an innate talent you can just pick up a brush and do it yourself. Look at something; look at the colors and see what they are and just reproduce them.
Everybody has a talent of some kind and whatever that talent is you should concentrate on doing that."
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