Detta Cutting Zimmerman, Charleston, S.C. Artist

Way back when I was a little kid, I would grab whatever paper I could find around the house. My mother called me the “paper queen”. I would practice drawing every chance I got. It was a place to go where there was peace and quiet. (I have five sisters)

Now, I’m far from being a little kid anymore, but I still can’t wait to get to that place again. –Only now it’s mostly painting. I still draw to figure out the composition. I do that first. For some reason, all that practice drawing has me knowing if something needs fixing – draw on it first.

Out of High School, I went to Omaha Commercial Art school, and worked as a commercial artist. I didn’t like it, but it taught me to be neat with my work. Then I married and had two children in Omaha. When my children were 10 and 11 years old, I went back to school and finally received my bachelor of Fine Arts at University of NE at Omaha. When I was a junior at UNO, I started the Passageway Gallery with Rachel Jones. Four years ago, I had a show there. It’s still going strong.

During my senior year, my husband, Delbert, was transferred to South Carolina. So I went to College of Charleston for two semesters to finish my degree. It turned out I had to go back to Omaha to finish, but I did it! Once we settled in the Lowcountry, we welcomed our third child, and I kept drawing.

For twenty years, I mostly produced ink drawings. I’ve drawn many of the Charleston buildings, including a series of seven drawings for the Historic Charleston Foundation of the Nathaniel Russell House and a series of drawings of the Dock Street Theater, not to mention hundreds of house portraits of homes in Charleston.

Tight small ink drawing are hard on your eyes, so I decided it was time to paint again. I paited oils for years, but now I am doing acrylics. In fact, durng the transition period between the two mediums, I couldn’t tell the difference because I am using the same technique.

I show my work at Waterfront Gallery, 130 East Bay Street, Charleston and at Art Central Gallery, 130 Central Avenue, Summerville. My website is www.dettacuttingzimmerman.com.

My ebay page: http://myworld.ebay.com/dcz214/

I’m also having painting classes in my home once a week.