Location: United States
Donna Tucker a.k.a. dztucker
Having artistic family roots, I have been painting professionally in various mediums for over 48 years. I studied art at Walla Walla and Moorpark College's along with several private tutors including renowned artist, James Sturgeon from Thousand Oaks, CA. I have a lifetime of achievements ranging from many first places to 'Best of Show' awards, also including a portrait of Jack Nicklaus in the P.G.A. Golfers Hall of Fame Museum. I also received the honor of being one of the few selected out of thousands of International entries which I was accepted in the American Juried Art Salon for 2010 and 2013 Fall/Winter show. I have sold my works Internationally as well as Nationally to many private collectors and have had private and public exhibits in various American cities including Palm Springs, Pasadena, Cerritos, Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Bishop, CA, Walla Walla, WA., Reno, NV, Boise, ID., and many other places. I have also painted murals in private homes and mansions, business, schools and churches and have recently finished one of Lake Tahoe for Harrah's Casino here in Reno.
One of my greatest loves is studying the masters and reproducing renderings of their famous works. I am versatile in many mediums and styles. You will not find me boring and you may never know what I will come up with next I am always happy to meet other artist and lovers of art too, so feel free to contact me. Thank you for your time in getting to know me better.
Other names I have used to identify my work is: Erickson Zappia, Donna Zappia, Donna Erickson and dfay.
The paintings in this portfolio are among my favorite. I love to bring the viewer to a moment in time where they loose themselves in thought. I want them to create their own feelings. I do this by using the painting as a tool to help them evoke memories, feelings, dreams, ideas and revelations of their own. It is my belief that light coming through darkness shows hope. It gives one an opportunity and freedom to explore the darkness in safety. It also renders importance of contrast and how it works in weaving the formation of objects.
I have always wanted to paint my dreams - so here is a childhood dream. I love night scenes with bits of light to entice the viewer to participate in the intrigue. I wanted to bring the viewer to a state of imagination.
This is a 16"x 20" Acrylic painting of the Dawn Patrol event at the Balloon Race in Reno. I wanted to give the viewer the experience of this fantastic event. The cool of the September dawn, the background city lights, the unusual amount of people and activity at the park during that hour of the morning, the glory of the lit up sky with man made light competing with the beauty of dawn! What a sight! It was a challenge to try to express on canvas something that spectacular.
8" x 10" Acrylic This is a fun little painting depicting one of many small little Western towns where the inhabitants still use their trusty old horse to get around. I wanted to add a little twist by the store advertising "Cold Beer" instead of, maybe, "Hot Coffee" during cold and freezing weather; which is very typical.
I found this little church driving on Hwy. 395 just outside of the Oregon/California border. It was on a Sunday and I had just gone through one of the worst rainstorms I have ever driven through. I snapped a photo and went on my way. After my last brush stroke on the finished painting, I decided to title the painting appropriately. I felt it was quite fitting since the church had not seen a congregation in some time.
I was on a fantasy kick. I let my imagination go wild. It's a good distraction of the everyday disciplined task of life.
“Fantasy 1 - A Practice Study”
I used this for a practice study for a Fantasy series. Painting this helped develop the skills for later works.
“Morning Colors of Pyramid Lake”
Again, I used contrast but here not just with light and dark, I used it with color on color
I used my Imagination on how a Paiute Indian might have traveled in the early morning hours on Lake Pyramid.
This small 8x10 is in oil. I find that this contrast of light cutting into darkness gives off a peace. There is peace in the darkness as well as peace in the light; unlike other works in this portfolio.
This is a painting of my boys camping. Typically the boys are trying to scare the daylights out of each other. If you will notice one has the light on a mouse.
This work is done in oil on canvas and is replicating the old master's style. Here Jesus is the center of the light. The light not only separates the darkness, it defines the action.
Here is an old Master's study of the lemons with reflective light on a metal plate against a dark background.
This is another study I did of an old master's painting of the Nativity Scene.
16x20 oil hardwood - This is scene could show the brilliant colors of the Rainbow trout had it not been for the rays of sunlight piercing through the dark water.
9x12 acrylic again showing light under water
9x12 Oil on Canvas of a single trout lit up by the sun through the water.
Humor is a large part of my life. I was the class clown in school. It was fun creating ways to make people laugh. I wanted people not to take themselves too seriously. If can't laugh at yourself, you are really missing out in half the fun. I love it when friends send me funny pictures. I like to put my twist on them and turn them into works of art. Some paintings are humorous by the titles I assign to them.
I am having a little fun here with this 9x12 acrylic. Notice the sign says will happen if you hunt. Notice what's in the cat's mouth.
8x10 acrylic on canvas This clever fox is hiding in plain site.
I used my cousin's granddaughter as the model. Her mother and father are in a famous gospel band so she grew up with music and learned entertainment at a young age. She used her great grandmother's cane as a mic.
Needless to say I have cats and I also have lots of bird feeders placed by the windows. This goes on all the time. You would think the cats would realize that the birds just don't care as long as there is the safety of glass between them.
“Looking for Grub in All the Wrong Places”
This is my Persian Cat, Booshki, and she is tormenting my bird "Snirt". I ended up having to find a good, safe home for Snirt because Booshki was getting too aggressive.
In this painting I show a little twist in respect. The Indians were known for how they respect nature; but in this painting you have to draw the conclusion that it isn't always the reverse.
A Young Coyote finds a possible dinner; or not. I used a little Shakespeare in this title.
Or should I say "Sup", naw..... this one speaks for itself.
9x12 Acrylic of a Baby Raccoon.
This one is Michael Vick. How fitting, two dogs ripping his jersey up
This deer can't resist that snowman's nose - after all, it's just a carrot! ummmm....
This is probably my favorite. I had a very ornate frame put on it; that's what made it so hilarious. For some reason, one wouldn't normally do that, but I would. I love that "contrast" thing; light, dark, beautiful, ugly, good, bad, etc.
Look at the expression on the two faces. You can pick out the dominant one and the little scarty-cat one (on the left top) who is worried that someone might join them.
Here is another version of the cat hunting. 16x20 Oil on Canvas
Why this title??? Look carefully at what the balloon hit.
This is a little different take on the first one. I simplified it and then added a little Caviler King Charles Spaniel to harmonize with her.
When I do a commissioned portrait, I like to spend time with the subject if I can. Getting to know a the subject can really aid in getting expressions just right. The artist's eye many times sees that special something that identifies the person and makes the portrait come alive. Some my portraits are studies of old master's work. These have been very instrumental in helping me define a style of my own.
This is a portrait I did of my son and his dog and motorcycle. He use to ride it around the back yard with his dog "Spikey" until they both had enough. Eventually, he ruined the grass and had to find somewhere else to ride. Actually the neighbors didn't mind because he only rode when they were at work.
This is a very large piece. I inherited an old frame that belonged to Judy Garland and I wanted to put something in it besides just a mirror. I chose this style and subject matter because it complimented the great old frame and it gave off such a feeling of peace.
This is one of my studies of the old master, Guido Reni,and his painting of Saint Cecilia. I found that learning how to glaze colors with oil was imperative in order to capture the technique of the old masters. I used a three part mixture of Sun dried Linseed Oil, Turpentine and Damar Varnish to the desired color of oil paint. This allowed me to give that transparent nature while building and forming the shadows and mid-tones.
“Hiding Treasure”
“Dawn Patrol”
“Always Open”
“Closed on Sunday”
“Fantasy2”
“Indian on Lake Pyramid ”
“Nun Playing Organ”
“In the Spotlight”
“Jesus with Begger”
“Lemon Study”
“Study of Nativity Scene ”
“Two fish”
“Single Trout”
“Catch It!”
“Civil Disobediance”
“The Fox Hunt”
“I'm Singing in the Cane”
“Kiss My Asssssss!”
“Natures Fury”
“To Eat or Not to Eat”
“What's Up!”
“Hiding in my Jeans”
“Revenge!”
“That'l Be Mine!”
“The Lone Plunger”
“Three's a Crowd”
“More Civil Disobediance”
“A Terrible Balloon Disaster”
“I'm Singing in the Cane 2”
“Young Self Portrait”
“Our Poor Neighbors”
“Shepherd Girl”
“A Study of St. Cecilia”
