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Stephen Costanza
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Stephen Costanza studied music theory and composition at Syracuse University before attending the Philadelphia College of Art to pursue a career in the visual arts. He has worked as both a graphic designer and illustrator for several years in a career that has encompassed silk screening, graphic design, and book illustration. He has always maintained a strong interest in music; from 1980 to 1992 he played the piano professionally in a ragtime/classical music ensemble, performing with his friend, a violinist. His illustrations have appeared in magazines, newspapers, advertising and textbooks, from The American Prospect and Cricket to brochures for the Boston Ballet, Four Seasons Hotel, and Boston Lyric Opera. Five of his paintings were exhibited at the 2000 Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, Italy. He lives on the coast of Maine, where he enjoys walks along the water, hiking in the woods, and the occasional lobster roll. Look for upcoming books in 2010. |
Reviews
Praise for Stephen's debut author/illustrated book Mozart Finds a Melody: "Costanza uses a mix of acrylics, gouache and colored pencils to create dreamlike illustrations that suggest the elusive imagination at work. His surreal blends of muted colors often incorporate a repeated element of scrolls and sheet music. One inspired spread shows the composer's hand-inking notes, while townspeople walk along the staff lines-a flower saleswoman morphs into a flute as she sings and a goose honks into a French horn. This clever and delightfully rendered homage proves the author to be a true aficionado." Publishers Weekly "…Costanza is an illustrator to watch. Blending the burnished palette and twirling energy of Raul Colon, the softness of Leonid Gore, and a sense of fun that trills to a melody all its own, his paintings offer an ingenious view of eighteenth-century Vienna." Booklist Praise for Noodle Man, illustrated by Stephen: "Newcomer Costanza creates a cozy urban community of row houses in sherbet colors with striped awnings, neat back yards and a park where neighbors gather. The soft palette and slightly rounded figures hark back to a bygone era, and his shifting perspectives of people bouncing on fusilli above the rooftops, and streets that twist like spaghetti strands escalate the fun, frivolous mood." Publishers Weekly |
Mozart Finds a Melody (Henry Holt & Co.) Noodle Man (Orchard) |
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Stephen Costanza
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