SAN ANTONIO — The most colorful time of year in San Antonio is less than two weeks away.
Right now, a local artist is booked painting windows across the Alamo City. This weekend, he's painting 10 local businesses a day to get everyone in the spirit of Fiesta.
"I got encouraged with Bob Ross. When I was a kid, I used to see him on TV. I said to my mom, 'One day I'd like to be like that!'" said San Antonio artist, Jesse Zapata.
At 65-year-old, Zapata's career spans four decades. When asked how many windows he's painted in San Antonio, he says a million wouldn't be too far off.
"At least the whole city! I do the Bush's Chicken, the Golden Corrals," said Zapata. "I do all of them now!"
He uses acrylic paint on glass. Every masterpiece is drawn from memory.
"My dad saw me painting and said, 'Those hands ain't meant for playing football or nothing like that. You're gonna sit on that table and draw.'"
Zapata's window designs are a tradition for Ferro Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, located one block west of Jefferson High School.
"It loosens up dentistry. It makes it a little more fun," said Dr. Joseph Ferro. "Patients ask for it and wanna know when it's coming and what we're doing next."
Ferro commissions Zapata's paintings for every holiday. He met Zapata nearly 40 years ago at his old practice, just down the road on Donaldson.
"My recollection is he was going door to door. He went to the old office and he came in one day and said, 'Would you like me to do something on your windows?' I said, 'Ok!'" Ferro recalled. "From then on, we kept calling him and he kept coming."
Zapata considers Ferro a friend for life.
"He does not call me Dr. Ferro. He calls me 'papa' or 'mijo'. And he's younger than I am!" said Ferro.
Saturday afternoon, we watched as Zapata painted Fiesta designs like piñatas, the River Walk and the San Antonio skyline on Ferro's office windows.
Zapata's designs are never the same for the holidays. Every year, he'll draw a new design for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Fiesta, Halloween, etc. During the early Spurs championships, the artist remained especially busy -- creating a 12-foot mural of the Coyote holding a broom for the Marriott downtown.
"Little kids come up and I let them paint," said Zapata, with a smile.
The artist remains committed to steering youth in the right direction -- especially if they're interested in art.
"I said, 'Listen, get away from all this graffiti because you're not gonna get paid. You might get hurt.'"
Some of his mentees began to showcase their work. Zapata says a few even started their own business selling their artwork.
"He's just a humble guy with an unbelievable talent," said Ferro.
In the dental profession, Ferro says smiles are encouraged. Zapata's cheerful designs make that easy.
"When I look [across Donaldson] I remember a Sommers Drug Store, Piggly Wiggly, a Winn's," said Ferro. "I just hope 20, 30 years from now somebody drives by that's in their 30's or 40's that was a kid, maybe a patient, and says, 'I remember that was the place that had the paintings on the window...and the giant toothbrush.'"
If you're interested in booking a painting with Jesse Zapata, call Dr. Ferro's office at 210-732-3522 and he will put you in touch.