Aaron Foster Bio
Posted on | February 19, 2007 |
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To most, a discarded license plate is simply scrap metal. To Aaron Foster, it’s art. Since childhood, Foster has had a unique ability to see the beauty in every day things, and possessed the gift of recognizing  the infinite artistic possibilities that a simple inanimate object may hold. This is Aaron’s approach to life, and has guided him to thrive not only as an artist, but as an actor, television host, brother, son and friend.
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Unable to find the perfect gift to woo his best friend and business partner, Margo, Aaron was moved to create his very first vintage license plate map. At the time, he was managing the business affairs of his home furnishing and artist representation company Relish in Atlanta with no plans on the horizon—despite a nagging creative conscience—to break into something more art-driven. With fond memories of childhood road trips and a passion for found objects and antique school maps, Aaron created his first piece. While it didn’t capture Margo’s heart it did capture her artist’s eye—and she knew that she had experienced something very unique. Under Margo’s urging, he created a second piece and the next thing he knew, he was waiving numbers and charts goodbye and embarking on a career as an artist, founding Aaron Foster Designs.
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“I always wonder about the history of the vintage plates I use, what roads they may have traveled down already and where they might be headed next,” Aaron says. “Like the cars they once belonged to, I hope that my artwork will take fantastic journeys in the lives of its owners and always remind them of life’s eternal sense of whimsy and adventure.â€
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Aaron finds inspiration for his art everywhere, from nature to his home state of California (to which he returned in 2002) to his favorite musician, Bob Dylan—whose face he sculpted entirely out of license plates. He works specifically with vintage plates and began his career with reclaimed wood from old homes and barns, and the varied styles and never ending palette of America’s old license plates allow for unlimited color combinations in his work. While there are more than forty designs in his collection, the USA map has always been his signature piece. He counts Jerry Seinfeld, Luke Wilson, Dennis Quaid and Stephen Colbert among his celebrity fans.
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Aaron’s artwork has been featured in The New York Times, LA Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Mary Engelbreit’s HOME Companion, and on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: The Home Edition. His interior design work has been featured on multiple occasions in Country Living Magazine. His work is available for purchase on his website, www.aaronfoster.com, and in dozens of retail outlets including the Sundance Catalogue, Uncommon Goods, The American Folk Art Museum and the gift shop at the Smithsonian Insititue.
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A native of Northern California, Aaron Foster attended the University of California, at Davis, where he technically majored in US History with a theoretical joint minor in bike racing, Dylanography and acting. Following graduation and the profound lack of offers from professional cycling teams or to play the triangle in Bob Dylan’s band, Aaron found himself managing the office of a small wholesale home furnishings company. In 2004, Aaron relocated again, this time to Los Angeles in order to pursue his lifelong dream of being an actor. He now is the host and designer of the new HGTV show, FreeStyle (weekdays at 4:30 pm ET), which showcases room makeovers for no money—capitalizing on Aaron’s talents in repurposing, found object art, and making the most out of everyday items.
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When he’s not following Bob Dylan around on tour, you can find Aaron in his Los Angeles studio, snipping, cutting, and creating. And sometimes playing his own guitar.
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For more information on Aaron Foster Designs:
ww.AaronFoster.comÂ
323.934.8850/ aaronfoster@sbcglobal.net