{"id":106528,"date":"2026-03-19T13:38:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T18:38:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=106528"},"modified":"2026-03-23T14:12:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T19:12:42","slug":"lessons-in-painting-as-wicker-park-studio-celebrates-5th-anniversary-owner-shares-words-and-brush-strokes-of-wisdom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/lessons-in-painting-as-wicker-park-studio-celebrates-5th-anniversary-owner-shares-words-and-brush-strokes-of-wisdom\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons in painting: As Wicker Park studio celebrates 5th anniversary, owner shares words, and brush strokes, of wisdom"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Phoebe Bock\u00a0<\/span><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/strong>Medill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

Even as a 4-year-old doodler, sitting at a picnic table and\u00a0coloring with\u00a0crayons, Christina Villa knew she wanted to be an artist. At 13, she got an acrylic paint set from her parents, sketched a still life of her grandmother\u2019s teapot and thought, \u201cI\u2019m a real artist now.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now 37, she is a real artist who owns the eponymous\u00a0studio\u00a0Christina M. Villa, which will celebrate its fifth\u00a0year\u00a0in October.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTime has moved by fast,\u201d she said. \u201cThe space has been a beautiful vessel to work through the kinks of carving out my path as an entrepreneur.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Villa grew up in the Chicago suburbs as the oldest of nine children (now woodworkers, cartoonists, drawers,\u00a0bakers\u00a0and home DIYers) and picked up her paintbrush for\u00a0quiet\u00a0\u201cme time,\u201d she said. As a graduate of the School of the Art Institute, and with a surplus of pottery cluttering the counters of her apartment, she began her business. After hosting a holiday art sale and working out of her home to enter exhibitions, she moved into her Wicker Park studio in October 2021.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just time to try to do something new with art and give it space to grow,\u201d Villa said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After shifting again in 2024,\u00a0leaving her art and Spanish high school teaching positions\u00a0to run her business full time, Villa decided to take ownership of her practice. Her \u201cnonlinear\u201d path came with challenges, but embracing creativity beyond something she did on the side and learning to shift her self-view to identify as a painter and sculptor transformed her career.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing an artist feels like a full-time experience,\u201d said\u00a0Clare Britt, the photographer\u00a0who has been shooting Villa\u2019s catalogue for a decade.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Villa is a lifelong creative, said Abigail Goldman, her high school best friend who displays five of her paintings and a mug collection etched with scenes\u00a0of Montrose Harbor\u00a0in her home.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWatching her start her business has been so inspiring,\u201d Goldman said.\u00a0\u201cI have no doubt she\u2019s\u00a0going to\u00a0continue making art, and I think it\u2019s just about embracing wherever she is in her life and what that allows her to create.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Initially,\u00a0one of\u00a0the studio\u2019s\u00a0neighbors\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0tell if Villa\u2019s space was a studio or a home because of its\u00a0comfy\u00a0couches and\u00a0abundant\u00a0greenery.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHer work speaks for itself,\u201d\u00a0said Kaitlyn\u00a0Miller,\u00a0director of\u00a0the\u00a0nearby Jackson Junge Gallery.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s stunning.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With works of ocean sunsets and crashing waves hanging on the walls,\u00a0Villa\u2019s studio\u00a0resembles a cozy living room where\u00a0she\u00a0shows off her other passion,\u00a0playing with her plants.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Paintings
Villa\u2019s use of color and texture in her studio space mirrors her work. (Phoebe Bock\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the summer, Villa sets up her easel on Lake Michigan.\u00a0In the winter,\u00a0when\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0ready for\u00a0a break\u00a0from painting,\u00a0she shifts to pottery. A batch of six mugs takes her two weeks.\u00a0After\u00a0throwing\u00a0a\u00a0cup on the wheel, trimming, drying time and firing\u00a0both\u00a0before and after glazing, the collection is complete.\u00a0As for\u00a0paintings, she might spend three to 26 hours on one piece.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While working on a 92-by-73-inch commission titled \u201cNami,\u201d painted directly on the wall of a Gold Coast dental studio, Villa\u00a0debuted\u00a0what she calls her \u201ctextured wave work.\u201d\u00a0Essentially, she\u00a0marries her painting and pottery skills, her \u201ctwo lungs,\u201d using her hands to sculpt waves splashing off the canvas. In 2024, she\u00a0introduced\u00a0the series after\u00a0submitting\u00a0a textured wave diptych, a painting spread over two separate panels, to Jackson Junge\u2019s exhibition featuring works of any medium on a 10-by-10-inch block.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cArtists like Christina were doing that first,\u201d Miller said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the two-step process of creating her waves, which is spread out over several days,\u00a0Villa first adds\u00a0texture\u00a0using\u00a0latex, lets\u00a0it\u00a0dry\u00a0and then lays down\u00a0layers\u00a0of\u00a0acrylic paint.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Artist
Villa likes creating natural landscapes and draws inspiration from bodies of water. (Photo courtesy of Christina Villa)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whether\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0teaching open classes, guiding students over 21 through a project at her paint-and-sip events or opening her gallery for the monthly\u00a0Wicker Park First Fridays\u00a0Art Walk, Villa\u00a0said she\u00a0enjoys\u00a0building community.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople want to know \u2018Who is she behind the painting?\u2019 One of the beautiful gifts of teaching is that I get to share more of myself beyond the work,\u201d Villa said. \u201cI love when someone is originally from somewhere by a big body of water and they come in and feel like\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0home.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0a special moment both for the person and me as an artist.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Artist's
Villa’s work as a teacher continues with her monthly paint- and- sip classes designed to guide groups through each step of an artwork. (Phoebe Bock\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As Villa marks her fifth year in her studio, she\u00a0appreciates the opportunities this place gave her to expand her practice.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about always having space to create and always giving herself that space and time,\u201d Goldman said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After exploring other faiths and losing a close friend in college, Villa returned to Catholicism. She and her husband, Patrick Buss, a software developer and novelist, traveled to Vatican City last fall for the\u00a0Sposi\u00a0Novelli celebration, which translates to \u201cnewlywed couples\u201d in Italian. The group of 200 partners married within the\u00a0past two months in the Catholic Church gathered on the steps of St. Peter\u2019s Basilica for a photo with Pope Leo XIV. \u201cWe\u2019re from Chicago!\u201d Villa cheered to the\u00a0Chicago-born\u00a0pope, who smiled at them as he greeted the crowd for a picture.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ocean
Villa\u2019s studio galley features her connection to the water, capturing a different emotion of the wave in each portrait. (Phoebe Bock\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Villa and Buss\u00a0are\u00a0expecting\u00a0their first child this year, and with this change, she plans to take on more of a mentorship and teaching role, helping emerging artists navigate and break into the industry in spring 2026.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it’s the teacher in me, but I just don’t think it should be so hard to do something that you love,\u201d Villa said. Many young artists feel intimidated by the art world, and she\u00a0said she\u00a0hopes to be a resource and give young creators the tips to succeed she\u00a0once\u00a0wished for.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe shape of my practice has always taken on the shape of my life,\u201d Villa said. \u201cThey\u2019ve\u00a0always been able to find a way and move together, even though that shape morphs.\u00a0I’m\u00a0excited to see what this upcoming shift, having a family and the hybrid career will bring.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her next chapter? Maybe fingerpainting her gallery walls with a tiny helper.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phoebe Bock is a magazine specialization graduate student at Medill.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Phoebe Bock\u00a0 Medill Reports Even as a 4-year-old doodler, sitting at a picnic table and\u00a0coloring with\u00a0crayons, Christina Villa knew she wanted to be an artist. At 13, she got an acrylic paint set from her parents, sketched a still life of her grandmother\u2019s teapot and thought, \u201cI\u2019m a real artist now.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Now 37, she […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1039,"featured_media":106523,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,5543,5544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","category-msj26","category-winter-2026"],"yoast_head":"\nLessons in painting: As Wicker Park studio celebrates 5th anniversary, owner shares words, and brush strokes, of wisdom - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/lessons-in-painting-as-wicker-park-studio-celebrates-5th-anniversary-owner-shares-words-and-brush-strokes-of-wisdom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lessons in painting: As Wicker Park studio celebrates 5th anniversary, owner shares words, and brush strokes, of wisdom - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Phoebe Bock\u00a0 Medill Reports Even as a 4-year-old doodler, sitting at a picnic table and\u00a0coloring with\u00a0crayons, Christina Villa knew she wanted to be an artist. At 13, she got an acrylic paint set from her parents, sketched a still life of her grandmother\u2019s teapot and thought, \u201cI\u2019m a real artist now.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Now 37, she […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/lessons-in-painting-as-wicker-park-studio-celebrates-5th-anniversary-owner-shares-words-and-brush-strokes-of-wisdom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-19T18:38:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-23T19:12:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/lessons_bock_1.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"moniquelouis2026\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"moniquelouis2026\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/lessons-in-painting-as-wicker-park-studio-celebrates-5th-anniversary-owner-shares-words-and-brush-strokes-of-wisdom\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/lessons-in-painting-as-wicker-park-studio-celebrates-5th-anniversary-owner-shares-words-and-brush-strokes-of-wisdom\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"moniquelouis2026\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2c9026264998d3b4b784ac31312de70a\"},\"headline\":\"Lessons in painting: As Wicker Park studio celebrates 5th anniversary, owner shares words, and brush strokes, of wisdom\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-19T18:38:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-23T19:12:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/lessons-in-painting-as-wicker-park-studio-celebrates-5th-anniversary-owner-shares-words-and-brush-strokes-of-wisdom\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1168,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/lessons-in-painting-as-wicker-park-studio-celebrates-5th-anniversary-owner-shares-words-and-brush-strokes-of-wisdom\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/s3.amazonaws.com\\\/medill.wordpress.offload\\\/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/lessons_bock_1.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Arts & Culture\",\"MSJ26\",\"Winter 2026\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/lessons-in-painting-as-wicker-park-studio-celebrates-5th-anniversary-owner-shares-words-and-brush-strokes-of-wisdom\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\\\/chicago\\\/lessons-in-painting-as-wicker-park-studio-celebrates-5th-anniversary-owner-shares-words-and-brush-strokes-of-wisdom\\\/\",\"name\":\"Lessons in painting: As Wicker Park studio celebrates 5th anniversary, owner shares words, and brush strokes, of wisdom - 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