About The Artist, Rob Tillberg

After spending 18 years in St. Petersburg, Florida, Rob and his wife felt it was time for a new chapter and relocated to Klamath Falls, Oregon in 2019. His passion for art began long before that journey—rooted in his hometown of Glastonbury, Connecticut. He vividly remembers taping together sheets of paper to draw life-sized versions of his Star Wars figures, an early hint at both his imagination and his commitment to craft.

His love of art carried through high school and into college. Rob graduated from Radford University in 1999 with a degree in Art and a concentration in Graphic Design, later spending a semester in Greece to earn a minor in Art History. He continued his graduate studies in art at Central Connecticut State University before eventually moving to St. Petersburg.

For many years—up until around 2016—Rob’s work consisted primarily of impressionistic and photorealistic portraits, landscapes, and still life paintings, which were featured in galleries and art festivals throughout Florida. Over time, however, the desire to move beyond recreating photographs pushed him toward abstraction. The shift was immediate and transformative. Abstract work offered a freedom that reinvigorated his creative voice and allowed him to fuse the many skills and mediums he had honed over the years.

Today, Rob’s paintings are known for their depth, complexity, and material richness. He frequently builds each piece through multiple layers of acrylic topped with layers of oil—though he often removes layers as intentionally as he applies them. He has also developed his own proprietary medium, affectionately known as his “special sauce”—a high-build compound that accepts both oils and acrylics. By mixing natural pigments and other ingredients into the medium, he creates unique colors and textures distinctive to his practice.

Since relocating to a remote region of Southern Oregon, Rob has shifted his focus to selling primarily online. His original works have now found homes in nearly 50 countries, and he is regularly ranked among the top-selling artists on leading online art platforms including Saatchi Art, Singulart, and Artfinder.

Rob currently works from his 3,000 sq ft studio in downtown Klamath Falls, Oregon (119 S 8th St), where he also hosts events and supports the local arts community. He is a co-founder of Klamath Falls Underground Art, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering creativity and cultural growth in the region.