Theodore Zimmerman b1937.
President of the S.I.E.A.A. (Society of Arts Academy)
The Early Years
Paintings of scenes of London and Paris where he studied 'Impressionism', also in the Montmartre, Montparnasse and along the river Seine. The important beach drawings at Le Touquet, Brittany and Normandy where he would sketch the children playing on the sands. Drawings of beautiful Provence and all along the coastal resorts, painting and drawing in the open air, 'en plein air'. The artists life, time and travels on the beaches of Europe include, beautiful drawings in pastels of Saint-Gabriel-Plage, Sainte - Cecile- Plage, Hardelot - Plage, Boulogne - sur - mer, Le Touquet - Paris - Plage, Stella - Plage, Merlemont - Plage, Berck, Fort - Mahon - Plage, Dieppe, Pourville, Varengerville, Fecamp, Yport, Etretat, Sainte - Adresse, Le Havre, Honfleur, Trouville, Deauville, Bionville, Villers - sur - mer, Saint - Aubin, Arromanches, Pointe du Hoc, Cherbourg, and other places in where he painted memorable scenes of Parisian families on holiday with their children playing on the rocky or sandy beaches and enjoying themselves with their friends paddling in the sea.
American, Canadian, European and the Middle East paintings.
Theo's. very important American works include summer and winter scenes in Central Park and the busy street scenes of New York. Beach paintings at Coney Island, street scenes of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and many other places on the coast of the U.S.A. and Canada.
The artists quest to capture nature, from the Pyramids of Egypt and the sublime beauty of the Nile, the temples and buildings of Jerusalem, the morning mists on the river Seine, or that fleeting and illusive atmospheric moment of nature only seen through the artist's eyes in the colours of a Venice sunrise or sunset. Pastel drawings of lovely Provence, with it's hot summers, the orchards of Spain where the orange and lemon trees are a wonderful experience at blossom time, and the excitement of the bullfights and interesting local life. The beaches of beautiful Mallorca with the friendly people, and the lovely countryside of Italy and it's many vineyards. Greece with the magnificent monuments and temples offered many a good subject to sketch.
During a lifetime of study and painting, he would start early in the morning and continue until quite late in the evening, remaining oblivious to anything or anyone who wished to distract him from his work. Over the years, he was generous in giving paintings to close family and friends, and always passionately refusing to sell any of his works, saying to the public and art collectors, quote: "My paintings are a record of the places I have visited and of the cherished memories and experiences of my life as an artist. The love I have for my family, my paintings and the history of art, are the most important parts of my life and time as an artist on this wonderful and beautiful planet. To be true to yourself as an artist, do not concern yourself on how much your painting is worth or it's possible monetary value, concentrate on your work and only paint what you yourself want to paint and what is in your heart and mind. Any commercial value that collectors may place on my works during my lifetime or in the future is completely irrelevant".
The Manchester Days
It was from the late 1960's when living in the Manchester area, that Theo. became interested in the painting of the ‘out of work’ men of the industrial scene. With the mines and factories closing, many of the workers of Lancashire and Yorkshire were facing redundancy after a lifetime of employment and work. The decline of industry in the area hit the workers extremely hard, and many now faced never to find work again in the mines or mills of the Northern towns and cities. Theo’s figurative paintings of the ‘out of work’ and 'unemployed', painted in oils, crayon, Biro or pastels, were of a time in his life when the workers of Manchester, Salford, Wigan, Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham and Halifax became important parts in the creation of his paintings. Theo's paintings and drawings of these many old and even young men and woman, struggling from day to day trying to make ends meet on the 'dole', tell the story of an industrial recession, and an insight in the 'unemployed' workers daily life in Lancashire and Yorkshire. In beautiful tertiary colours, Theo. created these poetical works through much of his later career. The images, illuminated by moonlight or the diffused light from street lamps and windows, in early morning fog or mist at sunrise, or in wet and winter conditions of a rainy day. Theo. captures the unforgettable reflections of the street lights and brightly lit windows on rain-soaked pavements. We now can see in his paintings, the early morning, evening and night life of the down-trodden and 'unemployed' through the eyes of the artist.
Due to his very poor health following three heart attacks and a worsening heart condition in his later retirement years, Theo. ceased painting for quite a long period of time before starting to paint again on a very much reduced scale with his Bible Story series. Retired from painting for many years, he would only paint an occasional picture or drawing for a friend or family member who requested a special work. With Theo's reluctance and even refusal to sell his paintings, his works are relatively scarce. All his paintings are signed, inscribed, and bear the important provenance 'Atelier' stamp of the artist. An important Certificate of Provenance for each registered painting or drawing can be obtained from the artists family and the Theodore Zimmerman Foundation.