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 I had the privilege of meeting with Richard Barnwell and his two sons, Rick and Mike Barnwell, to plan a memorial for their family. Mrs. Barnwell passed away on July 7, 2005, and Mr. Barnwell desired to build an “unusual” memorial for him and his wife.
Initially, my contact had been with Mike Barnwell. As a result of my having shown the family thousands of designs, providing them with copies of some of my many articles on memorialization, we began to put together a plan that would exceed the expectations of the family.
Richard said, “I want a monument that does not look like all the others in the cemetery.” Thus, we moved away from Georgia Gray, and we started looking at colors. I showed a portion of our vast color selection to the family, and the Premium Indian Black and Premium Indian Red quickly became favorites.
 We then started to discuss the various shapes, and I directed the family away from the overused serpentine top that is so pervasive in our cemeteries today. Mike liked a monument design with triple rounds for corners, but he did not like the other features of the design. I explained that we could borrow from numerous designs and pull everything together, much as an interior decorator does for a home.
We then applied this design with the goal of having a horizontal monument. The Barnwell name would be on both the front and back of the tablet.
Dimensions:
Tablet: 4-0 x 0-8 x 3-0 All Polished, Shaped Cut Tablet, Premium India Jet Black
Sub Base: 5-4 x 1-2 x 0-6, P5, Premium India Jet Black with a 2-inch wash on front, back and sides outside the bed.
Base: 6-8 x 1-8 x 0-8 Polished Top, with a 2-inch drop, and a 4" polished margin. The Balance Rock Pitch in Premium Jet Black with a wash on front, back and sides outside the bed. The wash has a 2-inch drop from the bed where the tablet rests. The sides are polished down 4 inches. This leaves a remainder of 2 inches for the balance rock pitch or rustic style at the bottom of the base.
Many monument builders lack imagination by using a standard 2-inch margin. It is our policy to not only step outside the box, but to reinvent it as well. We specialize in creating unique designs.
Background
 At first, we discussed the width of the tablet. Widths can be 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 inches and wider in thickness. The family chose an 8-inch width which looks much more attractive than the smaller 6-inch width.
The family was impressed with the Ferdinand Memorial http://www.valdostamemorials.com/articles/ArticleFerni.asp, and they liked my idea that a sub base would be used with a base. If the tablet would be 8 inches thick, then the sub base would be 1-2 (14 inches) and the base would be 1-8 (20 inches).
The sub base would have 3 inches in front and back of the tablet, and the base would have 3 inches in front and back of the sub base. Our clients rely on us to educate them on both the proper proportions and the best look.
 Initially, the Barnwell family selected a tablet that was 2 feet 6 inches tall. When it became obvious that this size was too small, our company donated a larger tablet to the family.
The Barnwell’s final tablet size is 3-0 x 0-8 x 3-6 (3 feet long, 8 inches wide, 3 feet 6 inches tall). The sub base is one foot longer than the tablet on each end, and the base would be one foot longer than the base on each end.
Keeping with our continuing desire to maintain simplicity but elegance, the triple round design was initially proposed for the tablet, sub base, and the base. Often, families pay close attention to the tablet and ignore the coordination and blending between the tablet and base. We are always watchful for optimum design features and maximum harmony. The price for the triple rounds quickly escalated the price when also used for the sub base and the base. Thus, we modified the design to add a wash to the sub base and the base, creating an elegant look that was more affordable for the Barnwell family.
To make this memorial even more unusual, the tablet and base would be made from Premium Indian Black granite, and the sub base would be beautiful Premium Indian Red granite. This is an exquisite combination and I compliment my clients for their confidence in my recommendations. We combined colors alternating between the Premium Black for the tablet, Premium Red for the Sub Base, and Premium Black again for the Base.
Options:
We looked at various options, including a wash, scotia, or both, on the base, finally settling on the triple rounds for the tablet, with washes on the sub base and base.
Etching:
Mrs. Barnwell was a talented painter. The family agreed that they would like to have an etching of one of her paintings on the reverse side of the memorial. Our quality craftsmen duplicated Mrs. Barnwell’s painting on the reverse of the memorial.
Skin Carving and Lithochrome:
We chose the skin cut carving, a very thin sandblasting technique designed to not take away from the beauty of the memorial. Deep carvings and bright lithochrome are now frowned upon for black granite, as they take away from the beauty of the granite.
Features
Top: Oval
Corners: Triple Rounds on Tablet
Base: Wash with a 2 inch drop.
Monument Style: Horizontal
Uniqueness: Premium Indian Black tablet, Premium Indian Red sub base, and a Premium Indian Black base.
Font: Modified Times New Roman
Carving: Skin Cut with Very Light Lithochrome Highlights
Etching: Mrs. Barnwell’s painting to be etched on the surface of the reverse side of the memorial.
Porcelain Photo: A color porcelain photo with ultraviolet protection and a guarantee against fading was made from the photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Barnwell and recessed and flush mounted to the face of the memorial.
Installation: This memorial was installed in Alabama, in an area where the ground freezes. Thus, special accommodations were made to construct a proper foundation suitable for the environmental conditions.
Summary
 Through the process of memorialization, the Barnwell family and I developed a strong, positive relationship. I wrote to Mike Barnwell stating, “I looked at these photos again today and I am still very, very pleased with our collective energies on behalf of your parents. This was a collective effort by all of us and the product excels because of it.”
Mike replied, “I agree. I will always look at this and think about that. In Adult Education we call it "facilitating," where the educator guides the learner in creating their own learning experience and often takes an active role in the process, more like a colleague than an outsider. You worked with us to create a work of art that truly memorializes them and honors them.
“I don't know if you know this, but my wife and I practice Judaism, apart from the rest of my family who are Christian. In Judaism, traditionally memorials are rather plain, so that people who are not socially equal in life can at least be equal in death. However, it is also very important to honor your family and loved ones when they die. I feel this is what we have done here. We have honored my mom well, and when it is my dad's time, he will be well honored. For that I sincerely thank you.”
Near the end of our project, Mike wrote us again stating:
“The memorial was installed today. We would like to thank you and Dawn for your hard work on this. Everyone who has seen it says it is beautiful.”
Those are kind words from great clients. Thank you.
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