An Astoria man has turned his love of Legos into a career. NY1's Colleen Hagerty takes a look inside his studio.
Astoria resident Cody Wells hasn't let growing up get in the way of pursuing his childhood passion: building things with Legos.
"My motto of C3Brix is, 'Rebuild your childhood,'" Wells explains.
Wells has built a Lego-lover's dream studio out of his Astoria apartment. As the founder of C3Brix, he spends his days using the popular toy to create custom sculptures and portraits. Last year, he was even commissioned to build a model of the New York State Pavillion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the World's Fair.
"Seeing my pieces represent such a historic feat in this country was a tremendous honor," he says.
While Wells is confident in his ability to build any requests, he says the projects do take a lot of work. His workdays often begin before sunrise and end after midnight, and the average piece takes about one week to finish. Wells keeps his studio stocked with 2 million Legos at all times, but new commissions often require him to purchase even more bricks.
His dedication to the craft has earned him a feature in "A LEGO Brickumentary," a recently released documentary about the popular toy. But Wells isn't after the fame--he says his goal is simply to pass down his passion to a new generation of Lego-lovers. He shares his talents at children's birthday parties and offers workshops at the Little Shop of Crafts in Manhattan.
You can check out more of Wells' creations or order your own personalized piece at www.c3brix.com.