Extraordinary talent often emerges from unexpected inspirations. While some great artists have displayed their genius as pre-adolescent prodigies, others have been slow to blossom, showing neither skill nor interest in art until later in life. Consider the case of Gary Hostallero, a brilliant master of mixed-media painting whose beginnings of an artist were not only unexpected, but also touched with humor. As a boy of seven in Hawaii, Gary was supposed to create a thank you card for his 2nd-grade class. But, as he relates with a smile,"I couldn't even draw a good stick figure ! So I found someone else to do the work, and I turned it in as my own. When my teacher saw it, she was dazzled. She said it was the best she had ever seen. I felt so guilty, I decided my only hope to be redeemed was to learn how to draw and paint."Gary did more than merely learn, he excelled. Many people who discover his art today are apt to repeat his 2nd-grade teacher's praise : "It's the best I've ever seen".For as long as he can remeùber, Gary has had an abiding fascination with samurai stories and legends. As a child he was struck by the heroism and valor they recounted. Later the entire bushido and it's ...

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