Aviator turned artist

By the time Walt Costilow earned his collegiate aerospace engineering creds, the watercolors and artist’s pad of his childhood were all but forgotten. 

“Though I’d painted throughout elementary school and in high school, I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to major in during college,” Costilow said. While he managed to squeeze in oil painting courses during that time, the demands of his aerospace engineering program prevented any more.

Following a successful career in the U.S. Air Force, Costilow and his family returned to Birmingham, during which time he reconnected with his beloved hobby.

“I took art courses and classes alongside local artists and also studied under a few internationally known artists as well,” he said. “Until then, it was pretty much a self-taught process.”

Retirement has afforded Costilow more time to focus on improving his technique.

“I’m still trying to learn the discipline of the art form and to make the most of the talents I do have,” he said. “Here and there, I’ve been fortunate to have some decent success with it.”

Indeed. Among Costilow’s most recent achievements are showings of his work at the Georgia Watercolor Society show, the Texas Watercolor Society and the National Museum of the US Air Force.

Costilow said he is making it a priority to balance between aviation and non-aviation themed work. 

His leisure travels, most often to Western Europe for river cruises throughout France and Germany, have provided endless inspiration.

“One of the first artists I trained with did a lot of night cityscapes,” Costilow said. When he himself took in the stunning nighttime view of the Eiffel Tower from the vantage point of a dinner cruise along the Seine last summer, Costilow once again picked up his paintbrush. The effort turned out so well that Costilow made one for every couple in that European travel group. Reception to the piece prompted him to produce a larger body of non-aviation work.

When the same group returned to Europe this past June, this time to tour Bavaria, Budapest and other areas, Costilow came prepared. 

“This time around, I took a little art watercolor set with me and did something a little different,” he said. “I’m usually detailed and slow in how I paint. But I wanted to try and knock out more watercolor sketches about every other day from the places we had seen.”

Using photos he’d taken during the river cruise day trips, Costilow worked on the watercolors during travel time.

“There was just so much material on this trip,” he said. “To complete them all, it will take some time.”

How long it takes, however, is less important to Costilow than his chosen medium.

“Back in New Orleans, I did watercolors because that was all we could do in school — it’s all I had ever really done,” he said. “Some find watercolors very threatening, but I’ve always been very comfortable using them. I prefer watercolors to oil, and it’s a lot easier to clean up, too!”