Home
Gallery
In the news
How-tos
Lillian Colton
[Crop Art Gallery logo]

Lillian Colton

1911-2007



Order from Amazon.com

"Seed Queen: The Story of Crop Art and the Amazing Lillian Colton," by Colleen Sheehy, with a forward by Karal A. Marling. A 128-page hardcover book published by the Minnesota Historical Society, it features many full-color photos of Lillian's art. Available now at bookstores and through Amazon.com.



News stories about Lillian Colton



Lillian Colton's Competition Crop Art (1966-1983)

Colton was the crop artist at the Minnesota State Fair. She started entering Crop Art in 1966 and after winning nine best-of-show Purple ribbons in eleven years she decided to let others have a chance at winning ribbons and she stopped competing. Here is some of her work from her ribbon-winning years.


[Lillian Colton parrot image] [Lillian Colton Richard Nixon image] [Lillian Colton Ernest Hemmingway image] [Lillian Colton Christ image] [Lillian Colton Abraham Lincoln image]
Parrot
1967

Richard Nixon
1969
Ernest Hemmingway
1970
Christ
1971
Abraham Lincoln
1973

[Lillian
Colton Barbra Streisand image] [Lillian
Colton Racoon image] [Lillian
Colton Grandma Moses image] [Lillian
Colton Eagle and Flag image] [Lillian
Colton George Washington image]
Barbra Streisand
1974
Racoon
1974
Grandma Moses
1975
Eagle and Flag
1976
George Washington
1976

[Lillian
Colton Zebra image] [Lillian
Colton Charles A. Lindbergh image] [Lillian
Colton Billy Graham image] [Lillian
Colton Lion and Cub image] [Lillian
Colton FDR image]
Zebra
1976
Charles Lindbergh
1977
Billy Graham
1978

Lion and Cub
1979
Franklin D. Roosevelt
1982

[Lillian
Colton Eagle image] [Lillian
Colton Northwestern National Bank image] [Lillian
Colton Willie Nelson image]
Bald Eagle
1982
Northwestern National Bank
1982
Willie Nelson
1983



Lillian Colton's Crop Art (1984-2006)

After leaving the Minnesota State Fair Crop Art competition in 1984, Lillian Colton continued to be a part of the Fair's Crop Art exhibit, with her own show of at least 50 of her seed art pictures. She was there almost every day of the Fair, demonstrating crop art techniques to fairgoers. After her death at 95 in 2007, her crop artist daughter Linda Paulsen took over her mother's role at the Fair. Here is a sample of Lillian's post-competition work.


[Lillian
C. Kirby Puckett image] [Lillian
Colton Marty Robbins image] [Lillian
Colton We are the World image] [Lillian
Colton Gary Morris image] [Lillian
Colton Bob Hope image]
Kirby Pucket
1984

Marty Robbins
1984
We Are The World
1985
Gary Morris
1986
Bob Hope
1987

[Lillian
Colton Albert Einstein image] [Lillian
Colton Garrison Keillor image] [Lillian
Colton George H.W. Bush image] [Lillian
Colton Joe Garagiola image] [Lillian
Colton Kenny Rogers image]
Albert Einstein
1987
Garrison Keillor
1987
George H.W. Bush
1987

Joe Garaiola
1987
Kenny Rogers
1987

[Lillian
Colton Oprah Winfrey image] [Lillian
Colton Prince image] [Lillian
Colton He's Got the Whole World image] [Lillian
Colton David Letterman image] [Lillian
Colton Shirley Temple image]
Oprah Winfrey
1987
Prince
1987
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
1988
David Letterman
1989
Shirley Temple
1989

[Lillian
Colton Danny Thomas image] [Lillian
Colton Buster image] [Lillian
Colton Ray Stevens image] [Lillian
Colton Andy Warhol image] [Lillian
Colton Elvis Presley image]
Danny Thomas
1990
Buster
1991
Ray Stevens
1991
Andy Warhol
1992
Elvis Presley
1994

[Lillian
Colton Bill Cosby image] [Lillian
Colton Amelia Earhart image] [Lillian
Colton Bill Clinton image] [Lillian
Colton Rosie O'Donnell image] [Lillian
Colton Sherlock Holmes image]
Bill Cosby
1995
Amelia Earhart
1996
Bill Clinton
1996
Rosie O'Donnell
1996
Sherlock
Holmes

1996

[Lillian
Colton Buster Keaton image] [Lillian
Colton Loon image] [Lillian
Colton Diana image] [Lillian
Colton Guy Penrod image] [Lillian
Colton Jesse Ventura image]
Buster Keaton
1997
Loon
1997
Princess Diana
1998
Guy Penrod
1999
Gov. Jesse Ventura
1999

[Lillian
Colton Rebecca Kolls image] [Lillian
Colton Fred Astaire image] [Lillian
Colton Chet Atkins image] [Lillian
Colton Hugh Bennett image] [Lillian
Colton Johnny Cash image]
Rebecca Kolls
1999
Fred Astaire
2004
Chet Atkins
2004
Hugh Bennett
2004
Johnny Cash
2004

[Lillian
Colton Bing Crosby image] [Lillian
Colton Judy Garland image] [Lillian
Colton Self Portrait image] [Lillian
Colton Hubert H. Humphrey image] [Lillian
Colton Peter Jennings image]
Bing Crosby
2004
Judy Garland
2004
Self Portrait
2004
Hubert H. Humphrey
2004
Peter Jennings
2004

[Lillian
Colton Craig Kilborn image] [Lillian
Colton Bette Midler image] [Lillian
Colton Eleanor Roosevelt image] [Lillian
Colton Johnny Carson image] [Lillian
Colton Nat King Cole image]
Craig Kilborn
2004
Bette Midler
2004
Eleanor Roosevelt
2004
Johnny Carson
2005
Nat King Cole
2005

[Lillian
Colton Elvis Presley image] [Lillian
Colton Eagle from Presidential Seal image] [Lillian
Colton Mother Teresa image] [Lillian
Colton Dan Rather image] [Lillian
Colton Ronald Reagan image]
Elvis Presley
2005
Eagle from Presidential Seal
2005
Mother Teresa
2005
Dan Rather
2005
Ronald Reagan
2005

[Lillian
Colton Will Rogers image] [Lillian
Colton B.B. King image] [Lillian
Colton Hen and Chicks image] [Lillian
Colton Hummingbirds image] [Lillian
Colton Loon image]
Will Rogers
2005
B.B. King
2006
Hen and Chicks
2006
Hummingbirds
2006
Loon
2006

[Lillian
Colton Still Life 1 image] [Lillian
Colton Still Life 2 image]
Still Life 1
2006
Still Life 2
2006

Lillian Colton obituaries.

back to top

A Mona Lisa made of seeds: the quirky craft of crop art
By Colony Little
The Guardian, U.S. Edition, October 20, 2023


[tiny seed]

Images on this page ©1966-2007 copyright by Lillian Colton.
Crop Art web site ©2007 copyright cropart.com
Use of these images without permission is prohibited.
Questions or comments? Write to cropart@cropart.com.