Born in England Fisher studied fine arts at the Birmingham Municipal School of Art and the Royal College of Art, London.

In 1924 Fisher moved to New Zealand to become the director of Auckland's Elam School of Art. Fisher believed that draughtsmanship and design were essential to the success of a painter: design 'expressed the emotion of the artist'.

Fisher was an outspoken, uncompromising man who made enemies due to his belief in what he considered to be the truth. He is known more as a teacher than an artist and few of his works are in public collections.