This is the question most people seem to ask me, so here is my reply. The idea behind this series was to portray a variety of different animals that have for some reason or another grabbed our attention and become Stars, in a sense. Stars in that they have become icons that are used widely in stories and popular culture. In taking on the series, I decided I wanted to create a complementary pair first through the use of color and other characteristics that symbolically connected them. Maybe in this way, I could gain another level of insight into why these particular creatures hold such a high place above their counterparts. And besides, I love challenges and there is something about working in doubles that I love, yin yang and all that. Thus Evening Star and Morning Star seemed the appropriate titles to honor and to communication a sense of wonder in these related works.
Evening Star (tiger), serigraphic print, copyrighted by Kathleen Zimmerman
The pair I portrayed was the wild versions of the cat and the dog, or the tiger and the wolf. I used the complementary colors of orange and blue to symbolize a number of different aspects, from the animals themselves to the environments they live in. I decided to bring them up-close and personal so they were hard to ignore. As I tend to do, I thought about their personalities, where they lived and just the aesthetic beauty of these fellow creations while I drew. While I do make conscious choices about the basic design layout, many of the abstracted passages come about more on a subconscious level. The nice thing about this is when I look back at it when I am done, shapes and unexpected images jump out at me. This is one of my favorite parts of my creative process. I never know exactly where it is going to take me.
Morning Star (wolf), serigraphic print, copyrighted by Kathleen Zimmerman
Below are the digital prints of Evening Star (tiger) and Morning Star (wolf). They do not use the complementary colors that the larger serigraphic prints do but they capture the essense of the graphite drawings and the intensity of gaze.
I am currently working on another drawing for the Star Series, Midday Star (panda). This masked sweetheart has a way of stealling our hearts away. I will apply the green to the serigraphic print in reference to it habitat and attempt to capture the harmonious, optimistic personality of this adorable living being.
Note:
Evening Star (tiger) and Morning Star (wolf) will make their first live appearance in my solo exhibition at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut. This exhibition will include over twenty serigraphs, twenty-four to be exact, a number of sculptures and digital prints. It will be in residence beginning in August until the end of November, so be sure to visit this beautiful private school in the lovely hills of Connecticut. If you would like more information about this show and others events, leave your email address on our contact page.
Kathleen Zimmerman