I bought my bicycle from Steve’s Bike Shop about a decade ago. It was a comfortable ride I used to cruise my neighborhood and the trails of JPL. I returned to Steve’s for tuneups a couple of times. I don’t think Steve Salinas, owner, knew that I was an artist. Watching Steve work on my bike reminded me of when my big brother and I used to mod our bikes as kids. I peppered him with comments and questions and never gave him time to learn about me.
Back then, Steve’s was located on Lake Avenue. It later moved to Mariposa Street, where I ended up doing both the “before” and “after” paintings. One day, coming out of Altadena Hardware, the colorful collection of bikes on the sidewalk and two in the window who were posed like well dressed mannequins caught my attention. I had to paint it. It was sweltering that day, so I painted from inside my car, switching the air conditioner on and off to survive.
After the Eaton Fire, a producer from ABC News reached out, asking for an interview. I said I would do it if it could be done on the street while I painted. They agreed to meet me in front of Steve’s Bike Shop.
It was a challenging painting to do, not because Jaysha Patel, ABC reporter had a microphone in my face asking questions, nor because a cameraman was filming my every brushstroke (I exaggerate. They were both professional and respectful of my process).
The real challenge was the scene itself. The fire had transformed what was once a shop full of vibrant colored bicycles into a graveyard of twisted, rusty metal. A child’s charred tricycle was front and center in the debris—a heartbreaking sight.
I could have used creative license, brightening the scene as I did with Altadena Hardware. But in that moment, reality held me. I painted it as it was.
Not too long after that, I saw Steve being interviewed on television. When asked about my painting, he gave me one of the best compliments an artist could hope for: “It’s pretty cool to see. I had seen him do other places around the neighborhood, so as a business owner, you kinda hope he’ll stumble upon your place. He did. It’s kinda an honor to have him paint your place or your business,”
Thanks Steve. I look forward to buying my next bicycle from you.