Life Story: Nature Artist Ken Zylla
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The distinctive work of a Minnesota artist is keeping his memory alive. Ken Zylla's paintings are displayed on the walls of homes and businesses around the world.
"He was able to just sit down and put up a brush and there it goes. It was almost magic at times," his daughter Sandy Zylla-Rolf said.
Zylla was known for capturing the beauty of wildlife and nature. Cabin owners and resort managers were among his biggest fans and his best customers.
"There are times when I will sit down and start working on my painting and have his stuff around me. I get the feeling I am watching him paint. Like it's not me painting," Zylla-Rolf said.
She worked closely with him in art galleries for many years. She says he often whistled while he worked.
"He enjoyed his work. You could tell from his demeanor," she said.
She says her father taught himself how to paint. Zylla's love of the outdoors was at the heart of his distinctive style.
"A lot of the wildlife pictures that he did, it's somewhere he's been. Whether it's a deer stand or out on a boat or snowmobile ride or walking through the woods," she said.
Much of Zylla's work captures scenes from communities around Lake Mille Lacs, such as a piece called "Spirit Island," which showcases a pile of rocks in the water.
"It reminds them of the simpler times of their life, the fun times," she said, on why so many have his images on their walls.
Some of Zylla's paintings are inspired by childhood memories. He fondly recalled his days growing up in Foley.
Zylla had plenty of Minnesota fans but also an international following. His paintings have been sold in Japan, England and Austria. He was even commissioned by a company to produce original prints for calendars.
His art invites a moment of reflection.
"That's what I like about his pictures. You can stand there and it looks like you are walking right in to them," Zylla-Rolf said.
As an artist herself, she has an even deeper appreciation for her father's skills. She understands how hard it is to create images that are familiar yet still intriguing.
"Once you get in the outdoors, you get that feeling. You want to just keep it with you. I think that's what brought him into painting. He wanted to preserve that moment," she said.
Ken Zylla was 82 years old when he died at his home in Rogers in February.
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