Born and raised on the island of Hawaii and being constantly surrounded by the beauty of the island easily inspired Harry Wishard to embrace a love for art at an early age. Cascading waterfalls, remote valleys, rainforests, dynamic skies and all that his home has to offer provide an endless source of subject matter for his realistic landscapes. Working in oils, he captures the unique colors and light of his Island home.
Harry was led into life as an artist by his uncle, the painter Lloyd Sexton, when he was quite young—and he has been painting daily for over 30 years.
He works exclusively in oils, primarily on cotton canvas. His palette consists of a large array of colors. Harry’s work has been exhibited at the Honolulu Academy of Art, the Wailoa Center, and at galleries throughout the state. He has had eight solo exhibitions and has taken part in many more group exhibitions.
Harry Wishard lives and works in North Kohala with his two children. His close observation of nature while diving, fishing, hunting, and hiking allows his work to represent reality with almost photographic truth.
“My paintings depict the unique island life and tropical landscape of Hawai‘i. Philosophically, I hope to create for the viewer a respect and awe of Hawai‘i, its history, land, and people. That respect is something I want to translate into a desire to conserve and preserve all that is unique to the islands. While scrutiny of my paintings would reveal some “impressionistic” strokes, my work is primarily realism, designed to take the viewer to the heart of the painting. My paintings represent emotions and evoke feelings more than they depict structure or geography. I want the viewer to feel the warmth and tranquility of a sunset and not just enjoy the pretty colors. Technique never drives my work; emotion does.”