Costas Schuler
Costas Schuler Biography
Costas Schuler was born in Athens, Greece to an English father and a Greek mother who met and married in Australia. He spent his summers traveling to the Greek island of Ikaria helping his grandparents on the farm, building forts in the forest and enjoying the beautiful Mediterranean sea. He also spend a few years living in Cambridge England with his English grandparents spending time learning woodwork, playing golf and chopping wood for Grandmas fireplace.
In 1985 he emigrated with his parents and younger brother to Sunnyvale, California, beginning his adventures in Jr High school at the age of 12. During his first year he discovered his talent for playing the trumpet and within a year went from beginner to advanced band and a trumpet solo at the year end school concert.
In High School he went on to immerse himself in the music program by playing in the jazz band, concert band and marching band as a trumpet player and then as a drummer. He also participated in a marching youth for two years called Spirit of Sunnyvale which toured the west cost performing in football stadiums before thousands of people.
After High school he attended De Anza College in Cupertino California with the idea of majoring in Computer Science, but that never happened. Instead he discovered his love and passion for art during his first 3D art class and gives art teacher Michael Cooper credit for opening up the amazing world of art. He went on to major in Graphic Design which ended up being his chosen career now for the past 22 years.
He met his wife Sandy in San Jose and eventually moved to Forestville CA in 2000 were her family roots go back 4 generations or more. They settled down here and raised their four amazing children, in the country close to family, friends and nature.
He reentered the world of art in 2005 by creating an art car covered in pens called the “Mercedes Pens” and in the process managed to collect over 100,000 pens locally and from around the world. He went on to make a world wide impact with his art car receiving a lot of media attention for his work.
Daily Mail
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Pens? The ‘crazy’ recycling project that turned a car into a work of art
By Daily Mail Reporter
UPDATED: 07:48 EST, 4 January 2011
A graphic designer has come up with a novel way of using discarded pens instead of binning them: He sticks them to his car.
Costas Schuler has spent more than five years covering his treasured car in over 10,000 pens from around the world.
The designer, from Forestville, California, painstakingly glued the pens all over the inside and outside of his beloved 1981 300SD Mercedes Benz after collecting them from businesses, doctors’ surgeries, friends and family.
It’s a write off: the Mercedes Benz is completely covered in pens which otherwise may have ended up in landfill
The pen is mightier than the dashboard: The eccentric interior attracts a lot of attention from everyone who sees it, says Costas. Glad he still has room for some fluffy dice
The car has pens on its roof, dashboard and even the hub caps. He uses ball points, dry markers, dry erasers and any other discarded writing instrument.
The father of four wanted to show people different purposes for discarded pens instead of billions of them being wasted each year going to landfill.
His unusual hobby is the subject of a website with thousands of fans and has resulted in Costas receiving pens from around the world.
On one occasion, a group of orphan boys sent Costas used pens from Mozambique, in Africa, to stick on to the car. In return he sent them packs of new pens.
Costas said: ‘A friend of my mine gave me the car in 2000 after my old one broke down. I found a book in the library about car art and was immediately fascinated by the art form.
All around my hat: Costas Schuler spent more than five years and 10,000 pens covering his treasured car in the unusual adornments
Adore adorning doors? The owner of the Mercedes has lovingly covered every inch of his treasured Mercedes and says he hopes it inspires others to live their dream
‘I hatched an idea to make my own art car and then thought about completely covering it in pens.
‘Everyone uses pens and eventually they get stolen, lost or thrown away. So when I first started collecting them I had no problem asking, and people had no problem donating them for a crazy art project.
‘It took me five years of going around, setting up collection drops for pens and painstakingly sticking them to the car with silicon glue.
Oi, is that car stationery Sir? Costas says his car attracts attention everywhere he goes. At least he’s never short of a pen for signing autographs
‘It’s my only form of transport and I use it every day. Most people stop and talk to me about it, it’s difficult getting out of a car park!
‘People wave at me when I drive by, honk their horns and light up with a big smile.’ Costas added: ‘I’ve had pens sent to me from all over the world, including Australia and England.
‘I like to get out and talk more about recycling, art, and inspiring others to follow their dreams and visions for their life.’
Article Via Daily Mail