History

Arriving in St. Thomas in 1959, Jim Tillett transformed an old Danish farm into what is now known as Tillett Gardens. Well renowned as a silk screen artist, Jim opened a large screen printing studio and art gallery where he commenced printing a wide variety of "undersea fantasies" and "seascapes"; typical island scenes which became ever popular with tourists over the years.

Early on Tillett started creating well defined maps of St. Thomas and the Virgin Islands. This craft developed into a large collection of maps; typically those of islands and popular sailing areas.

Recently deceased. Jim Tillett leaves a legacy of creativity in Tillett Gardens where his protege Sonny Thomas, a master craftsman, not only recreates the Tillett designs in fabrics for resort wear and decorator uses but continues to produce the Tillett maps and well known island scenes. Sonny has learned the special skill of the Tillett "box" method of applying color to canvas which allows for a continuous and rich flow of colors in varying textures.

This technique is a process first developed by Tillett's Father George Tillett who was one of the forerunners of the screen printing business in England. This technique is very visible in the current works being produced today in the Tillett Studios.