Folks strolling the streets of Uptown have enjoyed the artistic talents of Grand\/Prestoz, or as their friends call them, Oscar Rios and David Mondragon.<\/p>\n The creative duo has designed, painted and branded walls of all sizes and shapes on coffee shops, bars, breweries, boutique eateries, grocery stores, specialty retail and clothing stores in neighborhoods such as North Park, Hillcrest and Mission Hills. Even parking lots have been graced with Grand\/Prestoz\u2019s \u201cenvironmentally graphic\u201d numbers.<\/p>\n The team\u2019s unique artistic niche is noted for \u201ccreating community engagement,\u201d be it a logo, a sign or an artistic emblem. While Grand\/Prestoz describe their art as abstract, geometrical and dimensional, most viewers express the grand designs in one word: \u201cWow!\u201d<\/p>\n The native San Diegans met while attending classes at the City College. While kindling a friendship, they discovered their passion for creating anything and everything outside and big. An offer to paint a sign for a Chinese restaurant \u2014 a dragon \u2014 bred their business now celebrating its fifth year. The thriving mobile art gallery has grown by the size and scope of their projects. Many buildings scattered throughout San Diego County, as well as in Arizona and Los Angeles, have been beautified by a Grand\/Prestoz makeover.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re designers and painters,\u201d Mondragon said. \u201cWe start with a paper or a computer sketch and work with the specifications, colors and techniques to create designs without falling into a specific style. We\u2019ve grown project by project. We\u2019ve been fortunate, we\u2019ve met some really interesting people who\u2019ve helped us to grow. Person after person, the walls just got bigger and bigger. We realize that we\u2019ve accomplished our ideas. But we\u2019ve worked really hard. We aimed to be doing what we\u2019re doing. And I\u2019m doing what I love.\u201d<\/p>\n The self-described chronic doodlers and sketchers tout a grand scale portfolio that includes prominent Downtown buildings.<\/p>\n \u201cWe bring life to inanimate objects,\u201d Rios said. \u201cOur growth, popularity and expertise resulted from hands-on learning. One project led to another and with each project we just improved. We love super graphics \u2014 huge, 20-by-12-feet building designs. Luck may have played a little part in our rise. But a lot has to do with our own footwork. We had a vision. We had a goal. This was our goal.\u201d<\/p>\n While working to sharpen their skills, the duo networks.<\/p>\n \u201cWe solicit business and business comes to us,\u201d Rios said. \u201cThere\u2019s also a lot of outreach to paint other people\u2019s artwork. We love working with other artists to get different perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n Mondragon agrees.<\/p>\n \u201cWe love sharing work with other artists, painting what they sometimes don\u2019t get to paint,\u201d he added. \u201cPainting an artistic design that\u2019s not ours helps us to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n While the pair\u2019s artistic flair is certainly gifted, their staunch work ethic is as equally impressive. Determination once scheduled Grand\/Prestoz to \u201cevery day, all day.\u201d Today, they\u2019ve scaled business hours to a \u201cnormal\u201d Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n \u201cOur work ethic is devoted to time,\u201d Mondragon said. \u201cTime crunches get hectic. But we stick to the original plan \u2014 it has to look good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur work ethic is simple, whatever we do has to be done the right way,\u201d Rios said. \u201cEverything has to be completed to our liking.\u201d<\/p>\n Projects are based on labor hours, square footage, levels of difficulty and sometimes, the awkwardness of working in angular and cramped spaces. Both agree that assignments \u201cstream\u201d in from references because \u201cour clients are genuinely excited about our work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHigh expectations and creative ideas work to our advantage,\u201d Mondragon said.<\/p>\n As Grand\/Prestoz continue to achieve local acclaim, humility and quality remain key to their due diligence as does expanding their team to artists who \u201cthink like us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe agree that when something grows too big, there\u2019s a chance for missing the intimacy and quality of the work,\u201d Mondragon said.<\/p>\n They also support each other.<\/p>\n \u201cDavid and I share the same mentality, this is what we want to do and this is how we\u2019re going to do it,\u201d Rios said. \u201cThere is no plan B. We make it work by supporting and encouraging each other. We make a good team. Our families are supportive and proud. My parents can see my vision now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re personal artists who share a business that\u2019s split between business and personal creativity,\u201d Mondragon said.<\/p>\n Grand\/Prestoz hope to put murals on San Diego\u2019s biggest buildings.<\/p>\n \u201cWe both think San Diego needs huge murals and bigger artworks on skyscrapers like New York, San Francisco and Chicago,\u201d Rios said. \u201cMy art \u2014 our art \u2014 will take us places.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Leaving](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Horizontal.jpg\")
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