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One of my great joys is attending various collector shows and gallery exhibitions throughout the country. It's always a thrill to meet the people who have so enthusiastically supported my art over the years. In the meantime, I've tried to select a dozen of the questions I'm most frequently asked so we can "meet" through this new on-line forum. |
When did you decide that painting would be your life's work and what inspired you?
How did you begin painting children?
What do you remember and cherish from your early days?
Who are the people who have had a major influence on your life?
Do you do other paintings beside children?
Do you have a favorite painting?
What are your dreams and goals for the new Millennium?
Q. When did you begin painting?
A. I started drawing when I was three years old. I still have my first "original" in a baby book from that age. At age five, I created my first watercolor which I copied from the cover of a favorite Walt Disney comic book. I fondly remember my Mom thinking I'd torn the cover off the book. I was indeed fortunate to come from a family of artists (spanning four generations prior to me). My parents always supported and encouraged my work throughout my life.
Q. When did you decide that painting would be your life's work and what inspired you?
A. At the age of three, I was sitting on a large rock behind our house in Brookfield, Illinois one beautiful fall day. And as many children do, I was wondering what I would be when I grew up. As I sat there, I heard a quiet and beautiful inner voice. It clearly told me that I would be an artist, a very famous artist. At that early age, it was very natural for me to create and this inner voice gave me a direction that I have followed to this day.
Q. Where do you get your ideas?
A. Most of my ideas come from memories of growing up in the quintessential Norman Rockwell town of Brookfield, IL. It was a happy and wonderful childhood and in each of my paintings, I always include some aspect of my childhood experiences. By the 1970's, I was watching my young son playing in a field of dandelions. Afterwards, I started my painting Erik and the Dandelion, my first work which launched my career in the collectibles industry. Capturing the wonder and innocence of early childhood is always an endless source of inspiration and great joy.
Q. How did you begin painting children?
A. From the days at the Chicago Art Institute to the American Academy of Fine Art, I spent most of my time drawing and painting from live models establishing the foundation to interpret the human form. It has been a fascination since I can remember painting the stages and faces of human life from children to philosophers, rabbis, and artisans. It is very fulfilling for me to capture children discovering the precious gifts of life for the first time with sheer joy, wonder and innocence, and on the other end of life's spectrum to portray philosophers writing what they have learned from their life.
By the time I opened my first gallery, portrait commissions and my paintings of Rabbis, children and Native Americans were the most sought after works. After painting a wide array of subjects, my first love is still children.
Q. What do you remember and cherish from your early days?
A. When I was eight years old, I set-up my first "studio." It was in my grandmother's attic... hot in the summer and cold in the winter! I didn't have a real easel, so I fastened my canvases to the wall to paint. I can remember painting in gloves, two pairs of stockings and galoshes! Later on, my parents sold our dining room furniture and gave me the room as my new studio. Was I excited!
Q. Who are the people who have had a major influence on your life?
A. There are so many people that it's hard to name them all. Certainly my parents gave me the love and support which enabled me to be a serious artist. They created such a wonderful and idyllic family life which provides the inspiration for many of my paintings today.
Artists who were very important in my life were Rembrandt, John Singer Sargent and Haddon Sunbloom. As part of my formal art education in my early years, I copied the works of Rembrandt and Sargent. Following their techniques and understanding their painting procedures certainly influenced the development of my own painting style. Apprenticing under Haddon Sundbloom, a living master, he encouraged and supported my established style of painting giving me the confidence to excel and achieve as an artist. And, always, my wife Jennifer who works side-by-side with me to make my dreams a reality.
Q. Where do you get your models?
A. Some of my work is done without models. I may be walking or driving and see a child at play and the scene stays in my mind. I might see an old baseball field and it brings back a childhood memory. Many times, I simply reflect upon my own happy childhood for my inspiration. Once the image is in my mind, I begin work on sketching it out, then creating the actual oil painting.
Another source of "models" over the years has been pictures sent to me by collectors of their children, grandchildren or other family members. I sometimes incorporate these images into my work. In fact, I always encourage collectors to send copies of pictures they think are particularly good.
Q. Do you do other paintings beside children?
A. In my earlier years, I had an extensive repertoire of painting subjects, particularly philosophers, rabbis, and artisans. I was gaining an international reputation for my portraits of famous people. While I now focus primarily on painting children, I will occasionally accept portrait commissions or work on my religious paintings. I still have many of my early paintings on display at home.
Q. Do you have a favorite painting?
A. My favorite has always been the one I'm working on now. Even after all these years, I receive great joy from my work and strive to make each new painting my best ever. I believe there's always room for improvement and I constantly strive for it.
Q. What are your dreams and goals for the new Millennium?
A. I wish that all children, here in America and around the world, could lead the kind of joyous, secure and happy childhood that I capture in my paintings. A childhood filled with love and kisses and hugs, a childhood free from fear and want, a childhood where children can express themselves and their individuality, a childhood where children can be children for those first few years in life. I think we owe that to the world's children and each step we take that gets us closer to these goals makes us better people.
Q. You've had a long career. What do you consider your highlights and what would you like to achieve in the future?
A. I've been fortunate enough to win a number of competitions and awards for my artwork. While I'm thankful for these awards and very proud of them, they aren't the highlights of my career as an artist. My validation as an artist is when I finish a painting that can bring joy and a smile to people's hearts impacting their life forever in a positive way. It's a highlight when I meet a collector who tells me how my work has changed his or her life. It's a highlight knowing that my collector plates have touched the hearts of America for over twenty two years, seeing a Donald Zolan puzzle in the local store or receiving a letter with my artwork on the return address label. I know then that people enjoy what I do and are getting pleasure from it.
For the future, I'd like to continue bringing joy and happiness to people around the world through my art and to widen the exposure of my art to those people who have not had the opportunity to experience it yet. I'm truly blessed in that I love what I do.
Q. What have been some of the most touching and memorable things collectors have told you over the years?
A. I've heard literally hundreds of heart-warming stories from collectors through the years and it's difficult to single one out. There are a couple that immediately come to mind.
Several years ago, I created three angel paintings of children. At one of the shows, a woman shared her story with me about the tragic death of her very young daughter. When she saw my angel paintings, they gave her comfort and inner peace and a will to triumph over adversities.
At another show, there was a long line of collectors waiting to have their collectibles autographed. A woman reached the front of the line with a single plate for me to sign. We started talking and she shared with me how very difficult her life was and how my art filled her with so much joy and hope. When she heard about the show, she started collecting tin cans and bottles turning them in for the deposit money to buy a bus ticket so she could meet me and have her plate signed. Five years later, this same woman came back to the show again as her life had turned around. She told me she still keeps her signed plate on her desk at work... it reminds her of where she was and where she is now.
As you can imagine, I'm very honored when I hear stories like this and also very humbled. I think about these people and others like them when I am creating and always recognize my responsibility as an artist.
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