Born during the Great Depression, Constance was nonetheless fortunate for having multi-ethnic parents from different parts of the world (Italian-American father, German mother), who shared an artistic heritage.
The solitary activities of drawing, painting and playing the piano seemed natural directions for an only child. It was then an easy step to be known as the class artist in school and progress quickly to her first art award in junior high. When it was clear that Constance wanted to pursue the arts as a career, she was encouraged by her art teacher to attend the School of Industrial Arts (now known as the School of Art and Design).
After graduation, her mother took her to Europe not only to meet her artist cousins, but also to broaden her artistic horizons. Upon returning to New York, she attended Parsons' School of Design, where she received a scholarship, and to the Art Students' League of New York.
She embarked on her art career with Norcross Greeting Cards, after which she became Art Director for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. It was then that she met her soon-to-be husband, Serphin, through their mutual friend and future best man, John DeFazio.
Since Serf was home from the Korean conflict, they decided he would go to college while Constance continued her own business-- freelancing in commercial art as "Maltese Design Studio". They married and had two lovely girls, Andrea and Leslie. Andrea has since married Arthur Spanarkel and presented Constance with a beautiful granddaughter, Genevieve. Leslie married James McGill, and has two lovely girls, Sonda and Eva, and "our awaited little boy, James".
While running her own studio in Manhattan, Constance acquired a prestigious client list - Random House, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Regents, Dodd Mead, "My Baby" magazine, Johnson and Johnson, New York Stock Exchange, J. Walter Thompson, Kodak, U.S. Marines, Thomas Electronics, National Society to Prevent Blindness, and New York Diabetes Association.
It was in 1987 that Constance discussed with Dr. Anne Paolucci her desire to change her direction and enter the "fine art" world through portraiture. Dr. Paolucci was the president and founder of "Columbus Countdown: '92", an organization dedicated to the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Columbus' landing in America. As these portraits demonstrate, the Discoverers were a four-year investment in time and love.
Currently a member of the prestigious Society of Illustrators Portrait Society of America Inc., and the Art Students League, Constance is a board member of both the Queens Theatre in the Park and the Queens Council on the Arts, where she also served as President.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
