Almost a year ago, a good friend passed away - a day before his 67th birthday. Paul was a neighbor that I knew and hung out with since I was 16. Paul was one of my very favorite people - and he helped me out when I needed it most. I could go on and on...
This was the design that was finally chosen. I'd been hoarding this 1,000 lb. block of GA white marble for 23 years. Paul was with me at that quarry in January 1990 as part of a spur-of-the-moment road trip.
Here's the back side of the monument. It was modeled after a 1956 (the year Paul was born) Harley Davidson Hydra Glide. I took some artistic liberties like giving it "shovel" heads instead of "pan" heads - that was Paul's favorite (and was on the last bike that he had).
After I finished carving the marble we took it to get lettered.
Here is Meg's crane truck getting the lettered marble and the black granite base and vases from a Louisville monument company.
Finally, the day came to set the piece. I'm always grateful for extra help. More hands, more eyes - it's all good.
James Laslie (Paul's brother-in-law and closest friend) had poured the foundation. Here he's helping me and Meg through the setting.
I pinned and epoxied everything - and it all came together, no problem. Paul was laid to rest on the farm that he grew up on, at the end of Outlaw Lane - right across the road from where I lived as a teenager and where I had a studio between 1990 and 2001.
This is a small portion of the people who showed up for the setting. Terry Carby, another close friend of Paul's, said a few words and Carla (Paul's sister) had a reception for everyone afterwards.
Someone added that final touch...
Carla snapped this shot of James and myself... (doesn't need explaining).
Carla loaded us down with home-grown peppers out of her garden before we left. I looked on Youtube for how to can 12 pints of pickled pepper rings (and froze the other half). Probably a good skill to learn...
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