Contributor post by Lisa Solomon



so. truth be told i've been feeling a funk in the studio in life. it's that time of the semester where there's just so much to do [grading] and returning from a trip just makes to-do lists longer, and up until a few days ago it was cloudy and rainy in these parts....

when i feel this way i almost immediately turn to art to lift my mood. and in this kind of mental state i want something bright and colorful. and witty.

so christine buckton tillman it is !


we "met" on flickr. at one point we even emailed thinking that it would be lovely to have a show together. that hasn't materialized... yet.... but every time i look at her work i'm smitten. and i would LOVE to own something of hers.

sure - there's the spot on use of color - sometimes in an all over kind of way... sometimes in a very specific detail kind of way - but always "right".

there's the simplicity
there's the use of negative space [yes. i'm a sucker for that]. but it's also her sense of composition. not only where things aren't but where things are placed and what size they are.


i'm also drawn to her use of materials. making things out of things that they shouldn't be made out of. trees and stumps that are ceramic. rainbow painted, or white... i like this idea of bringing in a "permanent" type of nature that really both is and isn't naturalistic.


i particularly these flat, odd, ultimately sort of funny "sculptures" that she makes. [sometimes i think floors aren't used enough in art so i get excited when they are - and used well].




she's also interested in an interesting subset of domestic things. turning bouquets of flowers into drawings the look like pixelated needlepoints.

she's got a thing for bows, streamers, crepe paper, felt, bunting flags... things that i'm also drawn to for their symbolism, for their color, for their visual interest.

the above ceramic present bows [she's also done versions in birch and red oak which are LOVELY] are just so simply wonderful. funny. bright. colorful. nostalgic. and more permanent than their real life counterparts.

you can score one in her etsy shoppe.





i love the fact that she works both micro and macro. things that you can hold in your hand - and then these larger scale projections. turning whole rooms into rainbow, patterned delights. [i'd be remiss if i didn't mention i love the use of dated / analogue technology as well]


her shop
her website
her blog

keep track of my collection on pinterest

till next time ! enjoy your may !