Jack Wisby (1870 - 1940)

Jack Wisby was a prolific painter of landscapes and loved the Bolinas area where he and his wife, artist Mary Wisby, lived for many years. He was often commissioned by locals to paint scenes centered around their houses. This image shows a cottage at the Stinson Beach end of Bolinas Lagoon. Looking northwest, Bolinas and its hills appear in the far background.

Born in London, Wisby arrived in San Francisco with fiance, artist Mary Anne Fossey in 1892. He worked as an engraver for Shreve and Company while developing his self-taught painting skills. When the 1906 earthquake destroyed the Wisby’s home and most of their paintings, they moved to Marin County and lived in Inverness, Bolinas, and San Rafael. The Wisby’s built their home on Little Mesa with spectacular panoramic views of the lagoon, ridge, ocean, and beach which he often painted.