Irving artist uses homes as his muse: "He created a masterpiece on my curb"
IRVING (CBSNewsTexas.com) — Inspiration for art comes in all different ways, but for one North Texan, his muse is your home.
Aaron Estrada never really knew what he wanted to do for a career. He was good at art but didn't know how to make it a full-time job.
"I just wasn't doing well, there was nothing I was interested in," Estrada said.
Until one day, a friend mentioned they'd seen curbs painted around town.
"So, I thought, well, I could just apply my art to curbs. And my business just really took off," he said.
Jackie Gray just moved into her new home in Irving when she saw Estrada painting a simple black-and-white design and grabbed a quick business card.
But what she saw on the card was nothing simple.
"On the card was a pattern with cardinals," Gray said. "But I had doubts, because it was so intricate. I didn't know if he could pull it off."
He is not your average curb painter. From sunsets to submarines, your favorite band or sports team, he's even painted pets on curbs. "I am passionate about it. I love doing it."
And it shows.
"I was blown away," Gray said. "The shading...the detail. It is so beautiful."
Estrada launched his business "Curb of Art," officially in 2020. Since then, it has taken off.
He paints unique works of art on curbs every day, all over Irving and North Texas.
"Aaron has quality in his fiber. He created a masterpiece on my curb. I mean, who knew," Gray said.
But through it all, he hopes to show people that life and careers aren't always traditional and that if you follow your passion, you can always find a way to succeed.
"When you love what you do, it doesn't feel like work."
