"His Favorite Color is Green and He Loves Dinosaurs" is a new mural nearing completion in North Olmsted. It's a tribute to Julian Wood, the 3-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed in a Giant Eagle parking lot in June.
“It's a tough work to do because of the subject, and we don't do in the same enjoyment,” said artist Arlin Graff. “I just wish I could be painting a normal mural the way I do where everybody gets excited, they can put music, things like that. This is not that kind of mural.”
The renowned muralist, originally from Brazil, lives nearby and visits the shopping plaza frequently.
“I was sensitive about the situation,” he said. “I was in shock. The place is not the same after it happened.”
Graff had been avoiding the area for several months when he felt, as an artist, he needed to do something to help his community heal. Working with Rooney Cleaning, which is based in a building adjacent to the supermarket, he gained city approval for his new work.
“One day in my studio, I just had … insight,” he said. “I'm hearing the news, the kid’s favorite color is green and he loves dinosaurs. As a father, I know how that works. And I started doing some sketches.”
In a style similar to his recent, vibrant mural in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Graff began painting a wall on the Rooney building that was already slated to be painted. Utilizing donated materials and the unseasonably clear weather, he’s almost finished painting.
Brody Rooney, third generation owner of his family’s company, said the work “brightens up our community.”
“It almost looks like a stuffed animal dinosaur that's sitting on some clouds,” he said. “Honestly, it's looking really good. It's got a bunch of different shades of green.”
Graff used special paint which he hopes will last longer in constant sunlight and Ohio’s often harsh weather.
“Technically, it is not big wall, but … it’s giving me a lot of extra work because I'm using so many coats,” he said.
Some of those brush strokes were applied by his 3-year-old son.
“He just came here … and painted some coats, and he just loved the dinosaur, like any other kid,” he said.
Graff said his son is too young to understand the tragedy. Rooney said his young children are just beginning to feel the significance of the mural.
“They love it,” he said. “I've actually brought them up here a few times. They have a gist of the idea of what happened, but we haven't gone over details with them.”
Both men hope that people who see "His Favorite Color is Green and He Loves Dinosaurs" remember Julian Wood and also start a dialogue.
“Talk about the mental health thing,” Graff said. “I think the wall can be for that subject or also can be a nice, good thing for the family. It's a bad situation and a good thing for the community.”
