SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio artist Michael Esparza has carved out a successful career by putting brush to canvas, but it's the subtle expressions of hope, humility, and understanding in his work that really paint the picture.
“(Just) hoping somebody sees it, and hoping they see a little symbol of hope, a little symbol of luck," said Esparza.
From origami cranes left along the River Walk, to signs on street poles along Military Drive, and even giant messages made from old political signs, Esparza tries to inspire and surprise.
“That feeling you get when you put on pants that you haven’t for a long time, and you put your hand in the pocket and five bucks are in there," said Esparza. "Like, it’s not a lot of money, but it’s like, ‘Hey, it’s going to be a good day.’”
The reason he makes his art thoughtful and inspiring goes back to his days in high school when a well-intentioned counselor tried putting him on a different path.
“She told me people on this side of town don’t do that. Let’s put you into an engineering class," he said. "I do these things hoping I could be the inspiration for a kid who is getting told, ‘go into engineering’ instead of doing the art that you wanted to do.”
Michael's work can be seen on his Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as on Etsy.