I can remember when I was four years old, how much my parents were fascinated with the drawings that I used to make... cities, cars and people, all in proper perspective. They kept on feeding me scraps of paper, canceled checks or anything they could find for me to draw on.

My father is a professional graphic artist and he introduced me to "commercial" art when I was eleven years old by giving me my first freelance job. I made seventy dollars painting advertising billboards for the home run fence of our town’s little league field and became famous with my sixth grade class. I was on my way.

After graduating from Kingston High School in Kingston, New York, I attended Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie and received an Associates Degree in Commercial Art. While in school, I worked at Wambach Communications Group, in Rhinebeck, New York as a part-time graphic designer and was hired full-time after my graduation. During this period of my life, I was also very involved with music and played bass with several bands in the area. I eventually took a chance to follow this dream—I quit my job and joined a rock band that toured the southern U.S. It was fun, but when we got back, the band broke up so I decided to go back to art school.

I moved to South Florida to attend the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, not because of its accreditation, but because it was located directly on the beach. It was a great experience. I won some awards and two scholarship nominations then decided to take a semester off and work in the field for a while. However, my job was so great, that I just kept on working and never went back.

I worked at Group 3hree Advertising in Pompano Beach, doing graphic design, production and illustration. After about a year, I left this full-time position and went back to work for the same company, making twice as much money as a freelancer. I figured this was the way to go, so I hired myself out to ad agencies and design studios throughout South Florida. I liked the freelance idea because I could work on a lot of different projects and still had some time to hang on the beach.

After tiring of my vacation lifestyle, I moved to Boston, Massachusetts and worked for Brewster Advertising in Cambridge as an Art Director. After three years, I felt that I acquired enough experience to go off on my own again, so I left to pursue a career as a freelance illustrator and, let's not forget, a professional bass player. For the next six years, I had the time of my life. During the day, I worked at home, illustrating for high profile book publishers and ad agencies throughout the country. My nights and weekends were spent traveling to resorts and colleges all over New England to play music. I think I slept until noon everyday, too.

When I married my best friend, life got even better. I eventually decided, with the prompting of my new wife (there is a funny story here that I should tell sometime), to work full-time again, so I became the Art Director for DPI, a book publisher in Woburn, MA. There, I learned computer graphics, web design, management and all about the publishing industry.

Three years later, I left DPI and became Senior Graphic Designer for The DeWolfe Companies in Lexington, MA. In 2002, Dewolfe was acquired by NRT and merged with Coldwell Banker Hunneman to form Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage where I was promoted to Creative Director in their marketing department. It's a great job... I work with fun people and I have a ten minute commute. Everybody hates me for that. I still do freelance graphic design, website design, typography and illustration.

In 2003, I earned a Black Belt in Tae-Kwon Do and received a Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design and Visual Communication at Northeastern University in Boston... busy year!

So, that's a brief history of my scholastic and professional achievements. I currently live in the Boston area with my wife, Anita, and my two daughters, Sheriden and Emersen. In 2004, we bought our first house; a small 1920's colonial on a hill with a big yard. I have since taken up restoration and landscaping as a new hobby, not by choice.

I still get to hang on the beach every now and then... but mostly then. Life is good.

©2007 Chris Costello. All rights reserved.