What started as scribbles on a piece of paper has become the highest source of passion for one employee at Fresno City College.

Alvin Greathouse is a man with two distinctive sides; an easy-going custodian by night and a mad-genius painter by day.

His creative process, he says, involves playing jazz or rock music and matching color schemes to the notes in the music.

The result of his paintings is an abstract piece, one that leaves the viewer to judge with their own eyes what they may see in it.

“People see different things in them,” Greathouse said of his work, pointing out the various shapes that find their way into his art.

Greathouse holds his work to strict standards, and takes great pride in each painting.

“I never show my work if I’m not satisfied with it,” he said.

Greathouse started his artistic endeavors at age 5, having been inspired by the art of his uncle Vernon.

“I was really inspired by what he could achieve,” Greathouse said, “with just a pencil and a piece of paper.”

Greathouse grew up in the 1960s, in one of America’s most definitive and turbulent decades.

It was here that he latched onto one facet of the era for his theme of choice.

“I’m a child of the ’60s when the space program was relevant, so I started drawing spaceships, rockets and stuff,” Greathouse said.

His mother introduced him to “Star Trek” and “Star Wars,” further cementing his interest in space.

Greathouse started working at FCC in 2002 as a kitchen manager.

He was laid off, however, but returned to the FCC payroll soon after as a custodian.

He works the night shift, and while he would rather be painting, he enjoys the work.

“I get to meet a lot of nice people,” Greathouse said, “and I get to keep the place clean for them.”

His work was on display at City Hall in September, and was shown downtown at the K-Jewel Art Gallery in October.

He will also be putting his work on display at Studio 74 in January.

In the meantime, Greathouse has been hard at work on “Star Drive,” a graphic novel he started 30 years ago.

In it, Greathouse uses art to examine humanity and life through extraterrestrial beings.

“I wanted my pictures to be about alien races with very human emotions,” he said.

Though it’s been in the works since 1983, Greathouse hopes to release his work soon.

He is now putting in the finishing touches to the characters and plot of the story.

“Hopefully, it won’t be another 30 years before I release it,” Greathouse said. “It‘ll be out pretty soon.”

He does, however, have his regrets.

“I wish I would’ve started this journey earlier,” Greathouse said, reflecting on the time it took to begin his project and step out as an artist. “I always felt like I could achieve it. I just didn’t know where to start.”

That, though, is about to change.  He has been working on a website for his art and his paintings are being shown more and more frequently through galleries and art shows.

Now, Greathouse says he is raring to step onto the world stage.

“It’s time for me to show the world who Alvin Greathouse is.”