HOUSTON – There was a Jesus sighting along the northbound feeder lanes of U.S. 59 near Gessner Road Friday morning. The painting was challenging for any driver to miss. Even more difficult is the task of creating it.
“I don’t think I will ever master it because we don’t know how he looks,” said Miguel Montemayor.
The 37-year-old unsheltered man is from San Antonio but grew up in Sharpstown. It is the area he calls home today, adding, “Southwest Houston Texas, the hood, the neighborhood, the streets.”
Navigating life on the streets is challenging, but painting is an outlet.
“I get tired, but then I get right into it because that is my way of releasing stress, anxiety, problems, I’m at peace right here,” said Montemayor.
Nonetheless, it hasn’t stopped him from painting the same image over the last six months telling us, “I’m poor, but I’m a billionaire at heart.”
He tells KPRC 2 he began the painting, “On my Ford Econoline van, [my] work van.” said Montemayor.
But his van broke down. So, he moved his painting to a new canvas.
He said, “[it’s a] picture that will never have an ending to it.”
There is one component of his artwork that will come to an end, the Astros. Montemayor said the Astros logo on the bottom right of the painting is a frosting logo he had to add along with Jesus.
His message to Houstonians is, “Don’t let your families, enemies, strangers, yourself materialism get in the way of robbing your peace and joy.”