Get to know the crew and how all this art stuff got started.
The Costella Originals Spread Across Northern California spilling all the way to Las Vegas Nevada Las Vegas. As a family we are the creative inspiration for one another as well as the driving force behind this Online Gallery.
I had just finished high school when I visited my uncle Lawrence, who you see here working on his "gesso" a chalk image of a neighbor and personal inspiration, Steve Jobs, at the Palo Alto Festival of The Arts. Uncle Lawrence was a staple of the city's art scene and spent his days riding his bike around beautiful downtown Palo Alto, conversing with friends at Peets, while making and teaching art classes. I feel so fortunate that I was able spend a few days with him rode along on a borrowed bike on his well traveled route to the Cultural Center where he taught. That day I was not just his nephew but one of his students. I was allowed to be just one of the participants in his class of kindred spirits and talented artists, of all ages and levels. Uncle Lawrence was an amazing artist and just being around him made me feel as if I was a better artist.
At that same time I was attending a Jazz workshop at Stanford University. Between classes and during breaks I would pull out one of the sketch pads Uncle gave to me and spent my down time drawing and doodling. Everyday I spent attending these master music classes and learning. Again I was surrounded by people of all ages and all musical levels. My down-time was spent sketching everything I seen on campus. There were so many really cool places, scenes and images to take from. Like an open outdoor courtyard in one of the buildings and basements filled with all the coolest instruments and the technology, so much fun. My time in Palo Alto with my uncle and the others artists and musicians increased my desire to improve and grow as an artist. I believed then, that I really could sustain my art when I got older and out of school.
When I returned to Vegas I went to a local art studio called Art Starts Here that was owned by friends of my family's. I had actually done charity volunteer work there for a couple of summers when I was younger, so I felt right at home there. Debby and the others taught me a lot of wonderful things. New techniques and ways of looking at things. But art really didn't become a prominent feature of my life until a few years later when I was working in a grocery store. I had the pleasure meeting this wonderful woman named Lee Huddy, she is such an inspirational person in this world that it has to be said she has made such an impact on me and my artistic abilities. She provides me with venues, outlets and channels where I can get my art out and seen by the public. Lee Huddy and others like her have given me the confidence and encouragement to keep going with my art and showcase it to the world.
Doing charity events for schools and for autistic children in Las Vegas being able to raise funds for those in need just by creating a piece of art was such an simple and amazing thing I wanted to keep doing it. So I did, breast cancer foundations, RAW art shows in Las Vegas, these events are such an honor and exciting thing to be a part of. I love every minute of it.
It is due to these events and many things that opened up to me because of them, such as being able to create custom pieces, logos, for people and the causes that matter to them or the people they love. Those experiences only serve to expand my talent and interest in art. Not to mention the fun you get to have all along the way. That is why I created this site for artists to visit and buy pieces; canvas prints, photos, sculptures and other original artwork created by artists from everywhere. For all of us to put our work up in a gallery that can be seen by the world by anyone at any time!
I had just finished high school when I visited my uncle Lawrence, who you see here working on his "gesso" a chalk image of a neighbor and personal inspiration, Steve Jobs, at the Palo Alto Festival of The Arts. Uncle Lawrence was a staple of the city's art scene and spent his days riding his bike around beautiful downtown Palo Alto, conversing with friends at Peets, while making and teaching art classes. I feel so fortunate that I was able spend a few days with him rode along on a borrowed bike on his well traveled route to the Cultural Center where he taught. That day I was not just his nephew but one of his students. I was allowed to be just one of the participants in his class of kindred spirits and talented artists, of all ages and levels. Uncle Lawrence was an amazing artist and just being around him made me feel as if I was a better artist.
At that same time I was attending a Jazz workshop at Stanford University. Between classes and during breaks I would pull out one of the sketch pads Uncle gave to me and spent my down time drawing and doodling. Everyday I spent attending these master music classes and learning. Again I was surrounded by people of all ages and all musical levels. My down-time was spent sketching everything I seen on campus. There were so many really cool places, scenes and images to take from. Like an open outdoor courtyard in one of the buildings and basements filled with all the coolest instruments and the technology, so much fun. My time in Palo Alto with my uncle and the others artists and musicians increased my desire to improve and grow as an artist. I believed then, that I really could sustain my art when I got older and out of school.
When I returned to Vegas I went to a local art studio called Art Starts Here that was owned by friends of my family's. I had actually done charity volunteer work there for a couple of summers when I was younger, so I felt right at home there. Debby and the others taught me a lot of wonderful things. New techniques and ways of looking at things. But art really didn't become a prominent feature of my life until a few years later when I was working in a grocery store. I had the pleasure meeting this wonderful woman named Lee Huddy, she is such an inspirational person in this world that it has to be said she has made such an impact on me and my artistic abilities. She provides me with venues, outlets and channels where I can get my art out and seen by the public. Lee Huddy and others like her have given me the confidence and encouragement to keep going with my art and showcase it to the world.
Doing charity events for schools and for autistic children in Las Vegas being able to raise funds for those in need just by creating a piece of art was such an simple and amazing thing I wanted to keep doing it. So I did, breast cancer foundations, RAW art shows in Las Vegas, these events are such an honor and exciting thing to be a part of. I love every minute of it.
It is due to these events and many things that opened up to me because of them, such as being able to create custom pieces, logos, for people and the causes that matter to them or the people they love. Those experiences only serve to expand my talent and interest in art. Not to mention the fun you get to have all along the way. That is why I created this site for artists to visit and buy pieces; canvas prints, photos, sculptures and other original artwork created by artists from everywhere. For all of us to put our work up in a gallery that can be seen by the world by anyone at any time!