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Graffiti Artist Finds Perfect Canvas

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By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT

IN THE LOOP

Published: February 11, 2009

When Omar Almonte was a teenager growing up in New York, he discovered the art of tagging. Even though he wasn't out spraying graffiti and running away like his friends, he practiced on paper and eventually on a wall in his parents' shed.

"I used to draw people's names on paper, but I didn't do my first actual graffiti on a wall until I moved here to Florida," he said. "I painted on a wall, but even now I feel bad about it. I told my mom (Fransica) and dad (Orlando Sr.), and they decided to let me paint the back wall of the shed."

The elder Almontes might not have known it at the time, but their decision actually put Omar on a career path. He is now one of the official mural artists for the Tijuana Flats restaurant chain. In the last year, he has painted murals in Orlando, Tampa and most recently at the newly opened restaurant in Lutz.

"I have been focusing more on what Tijuana Flats believes in, like how they are different from the other restaurants and their Just In Queso Foundation helps others," Almonte said. "I always try to have different elements from Tijuana Flats in my murals, like adding the foundation's logo in every painting."

When trying to find inspiration for the Lutz store, Almonte said he was just looking at the store with his 3-year-old son, Kaiden, in tow.

"I was talking to my son, trying to figure out what I wanted to do, when he saw this kid do a wicked move on his skateboard," Almonte said. "I then saw the sign that said 'no skateboarding allowed.' I decided the theme for my mural would be rebellion."

Almonte said his murals draw inspiration from a number of sources, including his wife, Amy. Other influences include music, comic books, anime and movies.

While Almonte said his tagging style came into play as a teenager, his real inspiration to draw came from his father's influence.

"When I was little, my father saw me drawing on one of his work papers," he said. "He then brought me home a sketch book and comic books and asked me to copy the drawings and color them in. He just kept giving me new books every month and he kept them all."

In addition to creating murals, Almonte also spends his time drawing caricatures at the Lutz store, 23100 State Road 54, on Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m. and at the Wesley Chapel store, 27709 State Road 56, on Mondays from 5 to 8 p.m. He said he likes to draw caricatures because he gets to interact with people.

"I like drawing caricatures because it is kind of like you are making fun of a person, but it is something the person can enjoy," Almonte said. "Caricatures focus on a person's feature and exploit that feature. It is fun because there are no boundaries on what you can do."

Steve Fischer, district manager at Tijuana Flats, said he was impressed by Almonte from the first time he saw him doing caricatures in the Brandon store.

"I think Omar is a very talented artist, which is why I wanted him to do caricatures at my restaurant," Fischer said. "His artwork is fresh and it is different, which is perfect for Tijuana Flats."

For information about Almonte's work, e-mail omison79@aol.com.

Reporter Suzanne M. Schmidt can be reached at (813) 948-4288 or sschmidt@mediageneral.com.

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