At the time I was commissioned to paint this Mural for Justin Strzelzcyk the late Ex-Steeler, for his business Jugz Hubz, we were only halfway done. It began with the title of his business and then quickly turned into a reflection of his thoughts and feelings at the time. He spoke of Angels and Demons, love and life, and playing the banjo for the children at Children's Hospital. But as you may have seen in the movie Concussion - Starring Will Smith, there was a very misunderstood side effect caused by the trauma to the brain that comes from many concussions. I remember vividly his extreme mood swings, the screaming. But I also remember the more focused and charasmatic side to him. The side that would go above and beyond to help a friend in need. He would talk about how important it is to teach our youth with love and conversation, versus television and medication. The night before his death, he called to let me know he sent my check for the progress of the mural, but that he was feeling restless and had to get out of his house...That was the last I ever heard from him before I got the call the next day that he was in a high-speed police chase and that he crashed into an on-coming tanker. It was so sad to think that everyone was assuming that he was going crazy, that his only way of fixing his current state of mind was to end his life. Even during his last few hours he gave away large sums of money to people he felt needed it and paid some debts. And now through his death, he is still helping people to understand what REALLY happened to his brain. That too much trauma to the brain slowly, quietly, and painfully took his life. Now, with that knowledge he can do what he always loved to do, educate the youth, the next generation so that this doesn't have to be their final answer. It feels redeeming to his story, is legacy! Rest in Peace my friend...

 This portrait was painted in the hour following that phone call.

The mural was too big to move from his business location, so I had to break it down into 8 different pieces. When it's put together the puzzle pieces form a more complete picture of the thoughts and feelings of that time for him.