The plain adobe-colored walls in La Fuente Restaurant, 217 S. Duff Ave., were not at all representative of a colorful Mexican heritage.

But Javier Ramos, a Tennessee-based artist, changed the walls and gave them some life.

There is a hand-painted mural of the outside wall of a Mexican courtyard with a fountain in the focal point, surrounded by plants and flowers on one of the walls.

Martin Morales, assistant manager at La Fuente, says customers have been enjoying the change.

“We’ve had very good client response toward them,” he says.

Inside, the restaurant is filled with the vibrant colors of traditional Mexican scenes.

Most of the murals are floor-to-ceiling. There’s also a folkloric scene of an eagle devouring a snake, which appears on the Mexican flag.

Ramos was quick to point it out because the image is important to Mexican heritage.

According to legend, the scene was the reason the city of Tenochtitl†n was established in that area. The center of modern-day Mexico City is the place in which Tenochtitl†n once stood. Ramos says these images also influence his creations.

“Aztec and Mayan influence is present in Mexicans’ life, even now,” Ramos says. “It affects many aspects of our daily activities.”

Downstairs, you see the Aztec culture’s influence in the Mexican tradition as well as the Mayans’ strong presence. One scene depicts Aztec people paying tribute to their gods. The bright colors used give the feeling of Mexico’s warm and tropical climate. The foliage and plants along the riverbanks depict a Mexican landscape. There’s a representation of Aztec architecture, done so through techniques that illustrate its texture.

Spanish-influenced buildings are shown, as well as daily life after the Spanish conquest through illustrations of working farmers.

The art also gives a variation to the bathroom signs. Instead of the typical “women” or “men” label on the door, there are the faces of a man and woman in Mexican attire next to each entrance, complete with poncho and sombrero.

Morales says there are plans for outside decoration — possibly a real fountain as an homage to the restaurant’s namesake.

Ramos says he tried to introduce culture to people who may eat Mexican food, but have never traveled that far.

“We tried to make the walls show our land, traditions and people so that someone who has never been to M‚xico can see a little of us,” Ramos said.