Lily Tolpo

Fine Oil Portraiture       Self Portrait   Biographical Painting	Lily Tolpo  (1917- )  Painter/Sculptor/Designer    Lily Tolpo, an American artist, has worked from Illinois studios for over six decades. As a sculptor her works grace private and public sites including the Freeport, IL Lincoln and Douglas in Debate monument and a sculpture series of Great Americans. As a painter, her fine oil portraiture include an art form she introduced in 1964, Biographical Paintings, a layered depiction of the subject with overlay illustrations of the subject’s history. Her self portrait Biographical Painting seen here demonstrates the art form.
Lincoln Art byTolpo               Lily Tolpo	Admiration for Abraham Lincoln    Lily Mark (Tolpo) married sculptor/ painter Carl Tolpo in 1941, settled in Illinois and by 1952 she was mother of three. At their home and Tolpo Studios, Abraham Lincoln was part of the Tolpo family in art form, as the American Dream exemplar and often quoted as guiding words of wisdom.  She assisted her husband in developing his celebrated sculpture of President Abraham Lincoln. After his unexpected death in 1976, she did the 1980’s casts and casting supervision of his Lincoln sculptures. Since 1990, her involvement with the Abraham Lincoln Center of Chicago, Illinois, produced 52 Leadership Award Biographical Paintings of Chicago historical figures and she cast many of their Abraham Lincoln humanitarian sculpture awards. Together with the Freeport Illinois Noon Rotary Club Foundation and Rotary International she created a Lincoln Reading sculpture for their ongoing Literacy and the Arts project, started in 2004.  In her Great American Sculpture Series, she included First Ladies as tribute to strong women everywhere, statues include Mary Todd Lincoln and the Julia Dent Grant monument for First Ladies Park at Grant home historical site, 2006 completion.  As Bicentennial Laureate, Lily Tolpo received the 2009 Lincoln Academy of Illinois Order of Lincoln Award recognizing her work and Lincoln art by Tolpo.
Yellowstone Art by Tolpo       En Plein Air painting by Lily Tolpo	Inspiration from music   Lily Tolpo was eldest of five children in a Chinese/Polish American family and her mother encouraged playing the violin at an early age. She eventually professionally performed as Vaudeville musician in, 1935-39. Traveling Vaudeville multi-state and later west particularly to Yellowstone National Park with her children and husband inspired art as well. She made small paintings of campsite vignettes and kept a diary. Lily Tolpo’s children became professional artists and play musical instruments. Many of the 20 or more summer painting/camping trips packed viiolin, guitar and other music making instruments. Music remains for Lily Tolpo a source of artistic inspiration, specifically for abstract painting and sculpture.
TQI Sculpture Symbolism        Lily Tolpo With        Original TQI model	Sculpture/fountain Tri Quad Interdependence stirs interest  The concept of Tri Quad Interdependence by artist, Lily Tolpo, was channeled from an inspirational vision in 1968. The sculpture/fountain depicts the balancing act of the elements that exist in the lives of Humankind.  The TQI is an invitation to all to probe the depths of its symbolism as a tool to personally create a meaningful path toward ones destiny. TQI presentations and lectures about the truths it embraces have been given to diverse groups of people by painter/sculptress, Lily Tolpo. Various educational and philanthropic groups include: Rotary, Kiwanis, Boy and Girl Scouts of America, BZQ and local Women’s Club and Historical Society.  Government officials and political groups expressed positive enthusiasm after learning of TQI and high praises of compatibility came from religious communities including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Unitarian.  “... My life as an artist is devoted to creating works that express the beautiful truths that I have discovered, learned, and experienced. When others gain satisfying pleasure, expanded perception, or inspired purpose from viewing my works, I will have reached my artistic goals.”  -Lily Tolpo More at AskArt