Artist: Donald Zolan
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 30x30
Date: 1986
An American classic, Almost Home is every little American boy in a Huckleberry Fin story. Zolan’s own childhood memories of playing at Kiwanis Park and Salt Creek instinctively became a part of each of his paintings.
© Pemberton & Oakes, Ltd.
Artist: Donald Zolan
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 30x40
Date: 1986
In the Studio of Carmel by the Sea, California, Zolan had created one of his most successful paintings of the 1980’s, Brotherly Love. It is an important work in the Zolan Collection, a tender moment that every Mother in the world could relate to. The painting was not only a benchmark for the most successful plate program in Zolan’s years at Pemberton & Oakes but it also marked the turning point when Zolan chose to dedicate the rest of his creative life to painting the wonder and innocence of early childhood.
© Pemberton & Oakes, Ltd.
Artist: Donald Zolan
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 30x30
Date: Early 1980’s
Zolan was a very spiritual man and he always felt that faith came naturally to small children. In his own words, he said that he “wanted to capture the look of absolute purity and innocence I see on a child’s face. And, that you see mostly in the eyes those beautiful big round unblinking eyes”. For Zolan, the eyes were always the window to the soul. And a child’s soul is so innocent and pure.
© Pemberton & Oakes, Ltd.
Artist: Donald Zolan
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 30x30
Date: Early 1980’s
Zolan’s favorite holiday was Christmas. He was a happy and positive man with a lot of love to give to all and it is no wonder that Christmas would be one of the most celebrated holidays in the Zolan family. He always remembered the family Christmases filled with a lot of love, relatives, and lots of great food. His most favorite recollection is of Santa visiting on Christmas day. Years later, the little boy understood that Santa was his Father.
© Pemberton & Oakes, Ltd.
Artist: Donald Zolan
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 30x40
Date: 1980’s
Zolan had so much fun in painting First Kiss. He not only enjoyed painting red heads but he loved the interaction of the little boy and girl sharing their first kiss at age three. He captured how spontaneous love can be in all its beauty and innocence through children. In this painting, Zolan did not sign his name using his trademark signature but instead carved his name into the dock.
© Pemberton & Oakes, Ltd.
Artist: Donald Zolan
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 30x30
Date: 1986
Zolan grew up in the small town of Brookfield, Illinois 14 miles west of Chicago where the commuter trains passed through daily. He would reminisce how he could hear the whistle of the trains while sitting on the front porch. He and his brother too shared a special bond like the two boys on the train. The pop they are drinking is Root Beer, Zolan’s favorite pop especially when made as a Brown Cow with vanilla ice cream, a Midwest tradition.
© Pemberton & Oakes, Ltd.
Artist: Donald Zolan
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 30x40
Date: 1980’s
In Donald’s early years, he and his brother Richard would go to Salt Creek a few minutes from the house to play and sometimes they would tie string on a stick and go fishing. Most of the time, they didn’t catch anything but many times, Richard would play a few pranks on his younger brother at the creek.
Zolan’s family summers were mostly spent taking road trips across America in the family camper. Hannibal Missouri, Mark Twain’s childhood home, was the inspiration for Little Fisherman.
© Pemberton & Oakes, Ltd.
Artist: Donald Zolan
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 30x40
Date: 1990’s
For a child getting a pair of New Shoes is always exciting and fun a simple pleasure that brings so much joy. This is one of those sweet and intimate moments Zolan captured between two little friends sharing their day together. These are the precious and innocent moments of childhood.
© Pemberton & Oakes, Ltd.
Artist: Donald Zolan
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 30x30
Date: Early 1980’s
A classic and timeless Zolan painting, Tender Moment is one of his earliest works of early childhood. For Zolan, this painting was about tenderness and trust. He said, “I wanted her lips, her eyes, her whole face and body to look totally natural to show the tenderness she’s feeling. One day when I was adding warmth to her skin tones she came alive, and from then on I had two new little friends waiting in my studio to greet me every morning”.
© Pemberton & Oakes, Ltd.
Artist: Donald Zolan
Media: Oil on Canvas
Size: 30x30
Date: Late 1980’s
A benchmark Zolan painting, The Thinker is an all time favorite among collectors and an award winning painting in collectibles. Every Mother related to this painting. Zolan remarked, “What I wanted to show is that he’s at that age, that moment, when he’s discovering he can think things through.”
Zolan was this same little boy. At the age of three, while sitting on a rock in the backyard wondering what he would be when he grew up, his inner voice spoke and said you will be a “fine Artist”, “a very fine Artist” one day. This inspirational story was published in Guidepost in the early 1990’s.
© Pemberton & Oakes, Ltd.