In 1992, when Jose Bustos was 12 years old, he painted his first mural. He created the design for an art contest at Arthur Hapgood Elementary in Lompoc and won, earning a permanent spot for the mural at the school.
The mural depicts an eagle’s wings spanning across the American and Mexican flags above a group of kids holding hands.
“I remember I felt like a little bit of a celebrity,” Bustos told the Sun about his fifth-grade year. “It’s funny because I wish I would have kept that confidence throughout my life.”
Thirty-three years later, Bustos is back on campus and painting new murals to adorn its walls.
The year Bustos painted his first mural, his homeroom teacher started encouraging him to pursue art. She was the one who taught him how to scale his drawings on paper up to the full size of a wall. She also turned her classroom into an art gallery with his drawings of birds hanging in the air. She called the exhibit Olé Jose.
Despite his fifth-grade teacher, Bustos said he wished he heard more positive affirmations throughout his childhood.
Now, he paints affirmations on all his murals. He said he wants people to be reminded of the words when they think of the painting.
“I love positive affirmations,” Bustos said. “My whole idea is to spark that positive, happy emotion.”
He keeps a photo of himself as a 12-year-old in his pocket. He often thinks of making his younger self proud as he paints new murals at his alma mater.
The Hapgood principal asked Bustos to create six more murals, which he plans to finish by the end of September. He has been painting at night, when the students aren’t on campus.
His main motivation is to inspire the students at Hapgood, including his nieces and nephews, to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.
“It’s like, ‘Wow, if he did it, especially as, let’s say, a Mexican American or Mexican, then I can do it,’” Bustos said.
He paints the affirmations on his murals in Spanish and English because of Hapgood’s dual immersion program, which provides instruction in both Spanish and English. Bustos said he grew up speaking “Spanglish,” too.
Stylistically, the murals look like old-school tattoos with thick outlines and ribbons. Inside the ribbons are the affirmations.
One mural depicts a big, yellow sun in the middle of green mountains. The affirmation states, “Soy brillante como el sol,” translating to “I am bright like the sun.”
Others include a butterfly, an anchor, a rocket ship, and an eagle, the school’s mascot. Bustos is still sketching the last mural, which will incorporate the history of the Chumash people. The finished images range from 7 by 18 feet to 6 by 27 feet.
Before starting each mural, any cracks in the wall must be filled in. Bustos primes and sands the wall before sketching the design.
Then, it’s time to paint.
“I’m wearing my knee pads. I have to lay on my side sometimes,” he said.
Using a grid system, he paints the mural one square at a time, just like his homeroom teacher taught him in fifth grade.
He graduated in 2009 with an art illustration degree from California State University Northridge and remained in the Los Angeles area until 2024. Bustos sold his art throughout college and eventually worked at an art gallery and a tattoo shop.
When he moved back to Lompoc, Bustos’ family encouraged him to continue pursuing art. He doubted himself a little bit because he had not painted a mural since 2008, but he said every job he had until now prepared him to be a muralist.
“I really feel like I’m onto something with my murals,” Bustos said. “I just want to keep doing them.”
He didn’t anticipate living in Lompoc again. In fact, he said it was a “big no no” in his mind for many years. Yet, the timing was perfect for him to move home, pursue his passion, and work toward making it his business.
“It’s always been here at home,” Bustos said.
One of his favorite affirmations is “I am excited,” which is fitting for this time in his life. To Bustos, it serves as a reminder to turn nervous energy into positivity.
“I’m finally feeling very proud of something that I’m accomplishing, and then, after this, I could die happy,” Bustos said.
Reach Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 7, 2025.