San Antonio street artist Colton Valentine is putting the finishing touches on a mural north of downtown to honor the Spurs’ new point guard, Chris Paul. The mural is located near the corner of San Pedro Avenue and West Cypress Street.
Valentine, who has been creating murals for the past four years, relies on local sponsors to make his art possible. “Within a day, I had enough sponsors. It helped me get all the supplies I needed,” Valentine explained. “It’s a no-brainer. I am going to put Chris Paul up here.”
Chris Paul, a 12-time NBA All-Star, is celebrated as one of the greatest point guards of all time. “I was really inspired to paint Chris Paul because he has a lot of wisdom,” Valentine said. “Most sports players are cool for what they do in sports. I have seen interviews of Chris Paul where he shares knowledge about protecting your peace and the whole journey of life.”
Valentine’s goal is to inspire young people, and he admires Paul for having similar motivations. “He understands the importance of nurturing the relationship with the youth, which is what this mural does as well,” Valentine noted. “Kids come out here, see this, and they want to take photos, or they get inspired to do artwork themselves.”
Valentine’s passion for art was encouraged by his grandmother. “My grandma said you need to stop wasting your talent, so I kind of took it seriously for a year, and it worked. I am giving myself 10 years,” he said. Valentine plans to spend a decade gaining momentum to continue displaying his art professionally. He has multiple murals lined up for completion throughout the rest of the year.
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