Still Lifes by Detta Cutting Zimmerman (1945-2014)

September 2016 featured Show & Sale at Art Central Gallery, Summerville, SC

“Detta just loved to create still life paintings.”  These are the words Delbert Zimmerman uses to describe the art of his late wife, Detta, whose work is featured at Art Central during the month of September.

Many of the flowers and vegetables for her paintings came from her own backyard.  She also eagerly searched the farmers’ market to find objects to feature in her work.  “She loved all the bright colors and shapes they had,” Delbert remembers.

Detta would set up her composition and take several photos of the arrangement. Then she would paint for hours.  Each element in the still life arrangement has a purpose.  Sometimes that purpose is to delight and challenge the artist, as with the reflective copper pitcher in “Fall Bounty”.  Detta’s work illustrates her love of patterns, colors and shapes.

Detta painted and thought about painting wherever she went.  Often she set up a still life to paint while working at Art Central.  The artist also composed arrangements using the elements of a family picnic or a luncheon with her sisters.  As in “Pink Azaleas and Red Wine”, the viewer is invited to share a glass of wine and stay for a while.

Be sure to stop by Art Central on Third Thursday, September 15, 2016 5-8 pm, to see one of Detta’s first still life paintings she did at 12 years of age.  This genre clearly was one of Detta’s life-long passions, as she created so many over her 60 years of painting. Lucky for us many of these paintings are still available!

Learn more about Detta’s work at www.artcgalleryltd.com.