Lillian Colton: The Queen of Crop Art

Lillian Colton first entered a crop art competition at the Minnesota State Fair in 1966. Eleven years later she had won nine best-of-show Purple ribbons and had earned the title of “the Andy Warhol of seeds.” From 1966 until her death in 2007 at 95, Colton produced over 100 mosaic-portraits of celebrities, politicians and other public figures–even one of Warhol himself–using a variety of seeds, grains and other natural materials; all put together meticulously with a toothpick on cardboard canvases. See a selection of our favorite works below.

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President Nixon
1969
Timothy, brome grass, canola, birdsfoot trefoil
9″ x 12″
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Ernest Hemingway
1970
Timothy, poppy seed, grits, aslike, brome grass, birdsfoot
11″ x 14″
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Willie Nelson
1983
Timothy, canola, alsike, bromegrass, birdsfoot trefoil, salsify
12″ x 16″
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Kirby Puckett
1984
Timothy, grits, alsike, poppy seed, brome grass
9″ x 12″
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We are the World
1985
Timothy, canola, pine needles, clover, brome grass, poppy seeds, grits
37″ x 28″
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Kenny Rogers
1987
Timothy, poppy seeds, grits, grass, brome grass, pine needles, salsify
9″ x 12″
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Oprah Winfrey
1987
Timothy, poppy seeds, grits, grass, brome grass, pine needles, salsify
9″ x 12″
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Prince
1987
Timothy, canola, poppy seed, grits, brome grass
11″ x 14″
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Bill Cosby
1995
Timothy, canola, brome grass, birdsfoot trefoil, sorghum
11″ x 14″
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Princess Diana
1998
Timothy, salsify, grits, brome grass, wheat spears, lima bean
8.5″ x 11″
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Bette Midler
2004
Birdsfoot trefoil, canola, timothy, poppy seeds, brome grass, grits, cream of wheat, salsify
11.5″ x 17.5″
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Self Portrait
2004
Birdsfoot trefoil, canola, timothy, poppy seeds, brome grass, grits, cream of wheat, salsify
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For a complete archive of Colton’s art visit The Crop Art Gallery.

Also check out “Seed Queen: The Story of Crop Art and the Amazing Lillian Colton” by Colleen Sheehy, published by The Minnesota Historical Society Press in 2007.