Holiday Market 2024 Illustrator: Lily Patterson
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MEET THE ARTIST
Lily Patterson of thecelestialart
she/they
Illustration / Minor Copyright and Intellectual Property, 2026
Every year ShopColumbia commissions an original illustration to promote our Holiday Market. Get to know this year's illustrator, Lily Patterson.
ShopColumbia Holiday Market 2024 Illustration by Lily Patterson
What was your inspiration for the illustration?
I was really inspired by Slavic Folklore like Vasillia the Beautiful, Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen, and traditional Polish clothing and motifs. Fairytales have always been really interesting to me from an illustration standpoint, it’s something that can create a feeling of warmth and comfort but still be wondrous and daunting. Many of my favorite books, plays, and tv shows have played with this concept, and working on this illustration for the Holiday Market has allowed me an excuse to explore these themes myself. The support of my Aunt Kim and my Uncle Erik, who have always been so supportive of me as an artist, and my beloved ex-roommates Autumn, Jocelyn and Maybelle, who have been so helpful as my idea sounding board for my ideas throughout the years, was so instrumental in this project as well.
Additional work by Lily Patterson
How have you benefited from the process of designing this year's illustration and selling with ShopColumbia?
Having this experience has been really exciting me and has encouraged me to take risks in selling my work and experimenting in different styles. It’s also very fun getting to tell my family and my friends about this opportunity and getting to celebrate this with them. In fact, some of them are specifically coming to visit Chicago to see my design this month!
ShopColumbia front window display at 619 S Wabash Ave
What are you most looking forward to during the holidays? Do you have any favorite holiday traditions?
I’ve always loved watching "The Nutcracker" during December, whether it be the actual ballet or the Barbie movie version! Though my favorite tradition is going to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, growing up it always felt like a more intimate and calmer setting compared to the insanity that was morning Mass Christmas Day. I was raised Catholic and there really is something magical about attending Mass in the snow-covered nights as a child that is so beautiful to me.
Give us an update on any recent projects/artistic life events; what's next for you?
Currently I’m working on projects dedicated to my classes, though I’m currently very infatuated with using collage and color pencil in my work. Though as soon as my schedule clears up, I plan to dedicate myself to my real passion, drawing deer being silly. I also plan on expanding upon the characters in my poster, I really fell in love with them in a way I wasn’t expecting during this project. Seeing them in the window at ShopColumbia has been so inspiring and motivating as an artist!
Additional work by Lily Patterson