| Donald
Zolan
The first time you meet Donald Zolan, you have the feeling of
meeting an old friend whom you just haven't seen for awhile. His
warmth, candor and interest in others can disguise the fact that
he's one of our nation's most talented and popular artists. A
very positive and forward looking man, he's at peace with himself
and his world. The love and joy you see in his paintings are a
sincere expression of himself . A fifth generation artist, Zolan
began drawing at age three, and, by age five, was working in watercolors
and winning local competitions. He won his first major art competition
at age thirteen and was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious
Art Institute of Chicago. By sixteen, he won a scholarship to
Chicago's American Academy of Art.
Full-time formal training began after high school with a full
scholarship to the American Academy of Fine Art. Upon graduation,
he was selected to apprentice with Haddon Sundbloom, a famous
illustrator most known for his Coca-Cola Santa Claus. Zolan
moved into the field of commercial art, where he was a great
success over the next twelve years. His true love, however,
was his fine art paintings which were shown in leading galleries
and museums around the world. Finally, he established his own
gallery in Nantucket.
In 1977, John Hugunin (then President of the Bradford Exchange)
visited a Chicago gallery and was so impressed with Zolan's
paintings of children that he decided to commission a new work
for a collector plate. By the time the two men met to review
the project, Hugunin had formed his own company, Pemberton &
Oakes. He asked Zolan to create a new painting to launch the
company into collector plates.
The resulting work of art - Erik and the Dandelion - was soon
Plate of the Year, the first of countless awards Zolan has won
as a limited edition collectible artist. Zolan's work soared
in popularity with collectors, building Pemberton & Oakes
into a major collectibles company and introducing his work to
people around the globe. His images were soon licensed on a
wide range of products by more than 20 national and international
companies, spanning the globe from the Americas, to Europe,
to Australia.
In 1994, Zolan began a collaboration with the Danbury Mint,
a world-wide leader in collectibles. His works have appeared
on plates, dolls, figurines and other fine collectibles. Today,
you'll also find his art on checks, labels, puzzles, prints,
greeting cards and a range of other quality products, with licensees
reading like a virtual "Who's Who" among America's
elite businesses. His limited edition prints and original oil
paintings are in high demand and are showcased in the finest
galleries and museums.
His devotion to capturing the magical moments of childhood
reflect back on Zolan's own happy childhood in Brookfield, Illinois.
His parents fully supported and nurtured their son's talent,
and, by his own admission, Zolan had an idyllic childhood in
America's heartland.
In his own words, Zolan expresses his love of children, "I
love little children, the way their eyes light up with excitement
as they awaken to the world around them. It's a marvelous time
of life, filled with wonderment. A time when each new discovery
is another magical moment."
This love and joy is reflected in his works. The unique combination
of a subject matter so close to his heart and incredible talent,
nurtured through technical training and years of experience,
make Zolan's paintings among the most popular in the world.
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