Terrier astronaut is a draw for company
A hundred gallons of house paint and 300 spray paint cans were used to create the new “Downtown Mars” mural that wraps around a formerly drab, three-story building at 1301 Leeland, said artist Sebastien Boileau.
“Every color in the spectrum was used,” said Boileau, whose company, Eyeful Art Custom Murals and Designs, was commissioned to design and paint the mural by its new occupant, Texas Direct Auto.
“The store inside is open and ready for customers as a satellite Sell Us Your Car center,” said Brett Bertrand, a business development professional for the company.
“Painting started precisely on Jan. 1,” said Boileau.
Almost immediately, people began to notice the pops of color, including Barrett White, a Montrose resident, who said, “I park near this building every morning; I pass it twice a day.
“It was a boring, tan-colored old building.”
The University of Houston creative writing student, who works part-time downtown, said in the second week of January, an upside-down astronaut appeared in the mural with no face, followed on Jan. 12 by Boileau inserting the face of a Jack Russell terrier. ‘The best thing ever’
“It’s the best thing ever,” said White.
Bertrand added, “The astronaut doggie floating in space is guaranteed to put a smile on people’s faces during their daily commutes.”
Boileau said, “We started with the fun side of the building, to get people to notice.
“That was very successful. It was hard to miss it.”
From higher up and farther away — from, say, the Toyota Center, which is a block away— Boileau said.
“You can see that all the walls produce the Texas flag, with the dog being the star.”
Red-colored boulders were positioned at the building’s entrance to give the final creation a trompe l’oeil effect for customers arriving at Space City’s “first (car) dealership on Mars,” Boileau said.
“It was wholly inspired by humanity’s distinct curiosity with the planet Mars,” said Bertrand.
Inside the building is a children’s play area and space education center, along with kiosks with information onthe inventory at TDA.
But as one of 10 Sell Us Your Car centers statewide, Bertrand said its main purpose is to buy cars.
“We can appraise your vehicle and print you a check right here.
“It’s an in-and-out process.”
He said the goal of the mural project, rather than erecting a typical billboard, was to turn the building into a “must see” public art destination. Homage to Houston
“It is intended to pay homage to Houston, also known as Space City, with a colorful and whimsical twist,” he said, adding that the companywas attracted to Eyeful Art after its owners saw other large-scale murals by Boileau across the city.
Eyeful Art Murals and Designs, located at 502 Anita St. in Montrose, was established by Boileau in Paris, France in 1992, its name a “play on words” with Eiffel Tower, the artist said.
Boileau met a woman in Paris who was visiting and moved to Dallas to continue that relationship. It didn’t last, but he began getting work projects in Houston, too.
“I instantly preferred Houston,” he said.
So he moved to Houston in 2006.
Boileau was the project manager and lead artist on the project, usually working with three artists on site for the past two months.