In Memoriam

As beautiful as the end of summer and early fall can be, I always feel melancholy this time of year. The exuberance and pure joy of spring has long passed and the lazier days of summer are on the wane. We all know that winter is inevitable. To lose a friend at this time of year can bring on the cold, early blizzard we weren't expecting so soon.
My good friend and former business partner of many years, Doug Barnes, recently passed. Never one to desire the limelight, he was a driving force behind the scenes of the business that his wife Mary built out of the garage in their backyard.

I will never forget the very first job I worked with Doug and Mary at Patina, more than 20 years ago. We were all hanging precariously off extension ladders and planks two stories above a marble tile floor. (Made all the worse by my constant knee knocking) I soon learned we were all safe and secure.

Doug was a master at handcrafted scaffolding; working out a plan to move us down circular staircases, huge walls, whatever it took to complete the job without risking harm to the crew. Doug was always the first to test out his work, never allowing any of us access to anything he built without testing it first. We were all (and still are) appreciative of the meticulous attention he paid to every aspect of the job. At the time, I was somewhat irritated by the daily shaking and precision folding of the drop cloths or staying way past working hours to clean up the slightest fly spec of spattered paint. I find myself doing the same things today. Socially, he was charming, witty (very dry), and politically astute. A great husband, father, friend.

Thank you, Doug. None of us will forget you and the impact you had on our lives.

Needless to say, my heart goes out to Mary, their beautiful daughter Haley, and all of the family.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm Monday, August 17th, at Unity Village in Lee's Summit.

Project: Restoration

One of my favorite jobs over the years was the restoration of an old Italian plaster bas relief hanging. Purchased from a local antique dealer, one of the two sculptures was used outdoors and subjected to the elements. The original color was totally bleached to white, rain had pitted the old plaster, and black mold had started a colony. They were both magnificent pieces, the abused one--well worth the effort. Each piece was approximately 4' square; the figures and protruding elements of the plaques were at least 9 inches in depth. Based on a musical theme, they depicted Italian youth, cherub-like, and their musical instruments in great detail.

Old plaster, being a very porous material, could not be primed or painted with opaque paints, it required cautious experimentation with colored glazes to retain the look of the original work. (Looking back, I regret that I didn't ask permission to create rubber molds of several sections for recasting.) They are truly stunning creations. The client was so pleased with the restoration, she asked the dealer to locate a third plaque which I restored on site in her home where the other two were displayed. It was truly a joy to have these pieces in my studio and have the chance to restore them to their former glory.