Donald Zolan (Born 1937) was born in the small village of Brookfield, Illinois in a little bungalow on Prairie Avenue. He was born in a working class family and was the youngest child of Margaret and James Zolan. Zolan came from very humble beginnings sharing a bedroom with his brother and his Uncle Lester in the attic. He loved art from a tender age and would refer to himself as a humble Artist from Illinois. He never spoke unkindly of anyone and saw the good in everyone. He believed that the greatness of a man was his simplicity. He started painting at the age of 3 and it was this burning passion that stayed with him all his life. A 5th generation artist, Zolan came from a family of wood carvers, engravers, painters, and sculptors from the Czech Republic and Germany.
Zolan would say that if something happened to him that he could not paint and create again, he wouldn’t be able to live anymore. His painting and creativity would remain his first love throughout his life. Zolan was a very friendly man with a smile for all and was always ready to give a helping hand to anyone in need. A spiritual man, he was profound and soft-spoken. Zolan was not a man of many words but great words. His favorite ice cream was vanilla, his favorite president was Abraham Lincoln, his favorite foods were roast pork with dumplings, and his favorite dessert was a root beer float. He won the America's Favorite Plate Artist six times, and also won the Collector Editions Awards of Excellence 12 times.
