Esta grew up near the ocean on Long Island, New York. She moved to the Southwest in 1980 and now resides in Albuquerque. A self-taught artist, she began working with beads in 1992. Her first piece was made on a bead loom. Glass, silver, copper, semi-precious stones, coins and shells are used to embellish her pieces. Her love of the ocean and desert are inspirations for her art and is exhibited at three galleries in New Mexico.