I first started drawing at 6, mostly cartoons like Ren & Stimpy and The Simpsons, which are still great shows! I’ve always been fascinated by Salvador Dali. Dark abstract expressionism has always caught my eye. Pure raw emotion is the greatest fuel to all incredible art.

I’ve been playing music since I was about 5. Music has always been an artistic inspiration for me because it has such a deep impact. If I’m stuck in a rut and I can’t find a way to finish a piece or I can’t quite get the last details right, music can walk me through it. It’s weird but it works.

For me, the best form of art is just simply having the drive to create something, to build or craft something. That really shows one’s devotion to the craft, or rather devotion to completing something, and not for anyone else but themselves. That’s how I like to look at what I do. I’m such a perfectionist though it’s hard to completely “finish” something because, to me, it seems there is always something to be added.

-Jonah

Jonah Castelli lives in Joliet, IL, with his beautiful wife, Marlee.