Hello and thank you for visiting my studio!
I was born in Cali, Colombia and arrived in New York City at the age of fifteen, when I was accepted to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Arts as an art major. I continued my artistic development by attending the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT-SUNY) for Fashion and Fine Arts Illustration. I graduated with honors and was recognized as a top student competitor by the NY Society of Illustrators for my pastel portraits and acrylic painting entries and was published as a student in two trade magazine cover competitions. After graduation I furthered my life drawing skills at The Art Student's League while I freelanced in the fashion illustration field in NYC. I was then invited to join the Walt Disney Feature Animation Studio in Orlando, Florida for its animation internship and later as a special effects artist. When my personal life took me to California, I continued to work for Walt Disney TV, Dreamworks and Warner Brothers Studios as a special effects animation artist.
While raising a young family, I continued my artistic endeavors by freelancing props for a variety of TV and film productions. I also pursued a certificate in Early Childhood Education while homeschooling her and volunteered my talents and time to worthy causes such as Girl Scouts.
I am now focused on finding challenging and rewarding projects as I continue to work in diverse settings using a variety of media.
Stella Arbelaez
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