About
​Hi there! My name is Kirk Zimmerman and as you can see from my work, I love to draw! Growing up in Burlington, Ontario, I enjoyed being creative and showed a real aptitude towards art. When I was young, I had dreams of working in animation and one day working at Disney creating films that told wonderful and fun stories.
​
I ended up being accepted into Sheridan College - the college I had dreamt of going to since I was young with visions of Disney in my head. Over time, I had changed what kind of art I wanted to do, I had decided on pursuing illustration instead of animation. The illustration program offered the opportunity to specialize in scientific and technical illustration, which I leapt at. It offered the chance to create art that was detailed, informative and combined research with art. I graduated from illustration at Sheridan College in 2009, and found work as a graphic designer for a small company. After four years there, I decided it was time to move on and landed a contract position with the Canadian Welding Bureau creating technical illustrations that would be used in their training courses for students who wanted to learn the trade. After my contract had run out, I had to look for a new job. I found myself once again at a small company doing graphic design work, but I decided it wasn't for me and only stayed for a short period of time. Today I work for a company as a graphics specialist, helping to create collateral for companies and their employees. I have also had the privilege of working on many different projects for several clients as a freelance illustrator.
​
After spending years working for companies and doing design work, a spark reignited within me and I decided it was time to get back to drawing and creating artwork that inspired me. I wanted to put more focus on illustrating the world around us, whether that was a technical perspective or the natural world. I really enjoy drawing nature and wildlife, as well as bringing a more scientific approach to the subject sometimes as well. I like to think of scientific illustration as me trying to understand and engage with the natural world through art, studying it and sharing the beauty that can be often overlooked. I did a refresh of my website and became a member of the Southern Ontario Nature and Science Illustrators (SONSI) as well as the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators.
​
I strive to create works of art that the viewer can either take some new knowledge away from or just appreciate the illustration. I'm always pushing myself to become a better artist and create art that is truly inspiring and engaging. Creating a piece of art that I can share with others and show appreciation for the amazing world around us really inspires me to head out and just draw!
​
​