We receive such wonderful messages from our clients, who find that working with an artist to create the perfect memorial can be lifechanging. Here’s one we’d like to share:
I hope you arhttp://www.shineonbrightly.com/components/com_mojo/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/benard%20commission%201.Jpge well. I wanted to send you a letter describing my experience working with Julia. Sorry it took me a while, but I wanted some quiet time and finally got that since school started. You are lucky to have her working for your company. She is a one-of-a-kind.
After looking at urns for hours on the internet, I couldn’t find one that would represent my husband. He passed away at 38 from cancer and all of the urns looked too formal and stuffy. He was a character, and I needed something that would be full of life and would make me smile when I saw it. When my mother-in-law said she found a bronze urn that we could engrave with his name, I almost freaked out. How could I put someone who loved art, loved life, into a formal bronze urn? I did some more searching. My friend told me to type in Las Vegas urns as a search and I wound up on your website, shineonbrightly.com. I was drawn to the metal sculpture, The Enormity of Love, by Julia Burr. It just seemed so warm, so happy. Then I read that I could actually work with the artist to create a one-of-a-kind urn. That is where my journey began.
I spoke with Adrienne, who then got me in contact with Julia. Both were very sincere and accomodating of my time. The first night I spoke with Julia, we talked for about an hour about my husband. Who was Howard? What was he like? It was very healing for me to be able to talk about him and tell Julia about what made him unique. The conversation just flowed and I was able to paint a picture of Howard. After that, we began to communicate via numerous emails with a few phone calls to clarify everything. I sent her a link to look at pictures of Howard throughout his life, and she was able to get a jist of some of his mannerisms and habits. Julia came up with a bunch of drawings and together we created a vision of what the urn should be. Julia took all of my input and worked so hard tweaking the details of the urn to make it truly unique to Howard. I never felt uncomfortable telling Julia if I didn’t like an idea. I appreciated all of the times she went “back to the drawing board” to make something different. I was a part of every step of the project. Julia emailed me pictures as the work progressed, asking for feedback, with me giving it. Finally, her part was finished and she sent the urn to me. She told me to take the urn and put it in different places in the house to see where he belonged. I always thought he would wind up in his home office, but he fit perfectly in the kitchen, right where he was always hanging out. Might sound weird to have an urn in the kitchen, but it is actually kind of comforting and not obtrusive - to a stranger it looks like a cool piece of art, but to my family and me it represents an incredible individual.
As I look at it, death is a natural part of life, and not something that evokes good feelings. Choosing an urn is a depressing task because it confirms the finality of a person’s life. Working with Julia on creating an urn actually was a very positive, uplifting experience. It was exciting to be involved in the process. I looked forward to her emails and pictures and being able to watch the urn come to life. I am forever grateful to have connected with Julia. As I told her, life gave me lemons and she helped me make lemonade.
Many, many thanks,
KB
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