The painting phase is where the magic truly happens. If you have had the privilege of attending a painting night event that David hosts a few times a year for a community fundraiser, you will hear him speak of this painting style being a discovery process. While realist painters use a tight style in their detailed craft, David employs a looser approach–having a direction of where the painting should go but being open to the opportunities presented by the unique techniques and materials of his trademark style. You can see it for yourself if you stand for a while and explore a finished Zimmerman: nuances that are suggested by the underlying textures which are then discovered and enhanced by the artist. It’s as if each piece is an abstract painting and yet points you to a recognizable setting or familiar feature.
David paints with oils because of their rich colours and beautiful vibrancy. He also enjoys that they stay “open” longer, allowing him to mix colours on the canvas itself, instead of on the painting palette. Often painting in thin layers, David’s technique lets the colours interact and play with one another and allows the gold leaf and silver leaf to shine through for the glistening, shimmery effect that his work is famous for.