This is Juan Llumiquinga, an artist in the La Floresta barrio of Quito, which is known for its street art, bohemian vibe, and neighborhood culture. Juan is a bit of a legend here, due to an incident that involves six kids and a police officer.
He heard a commotion outside his self-built home (he is also a carpenter) and came outside to explore. A police officer was surrounded by six scared kids. He proudly announced that they were about to commit a crime and he had rounded up six birds in one shot. Juan asked what crime they were accused of, thinking maybe they were about to rob a home or store nearby – not an uncommon occurrence in this barrio. The officer said they were about to paint graffiti on a nearby wall, and he had caught them red handed – with cans of spray paint – just in time.
Juan walked away to tell the neighbors, and they returned with him, surrounded the police officer, and said, “When we call the police to come here because of fights or burglaries or violent crime, you don’t show up. But these boys are trying to do something good by creating art, and you are going to arrest them? No – we will not accept this.”
Juan confiscated the spray paint cans from the officer, and the boys went home. Later, he asked the boys to come paint a mural on the front of his house, and they did – using the spray paint Juan took from the police officer. If you look closely, you will see that the green speech balloon says “six birds in one shot.”
BTW – the dog’s name is “Whiskey.”