Announcement: Sad sad news..

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

I add my condolences to his family and friends as well, didn't know him but now some pics helped a bit, thanks for that

arnaud

 

[rod]

I knew Philippe's reputation as a master engraver, before I met him in person at a number of occasions over the years. What I noticed, as is often the case with a great master, although I was very much on the low end of the totem pole, he treated us all with equal grace and humanity. I have photographs of his well worn tools, and when demonstrating, as Sam says, the chips would fly fast and furious.

May I offer humbly these words to all his friends, colleagues, and family:

"Upon the Bereavement of a Friend"

Aliveness has now passed from the body
Into a realm that we must hold as 'mystery'
Each one of us has our hopes and dreams for how that realm might be
We have our beliefs and faiths, our fears, our prayers, and our wonderings

Now more than ever we want to be near him.
We feel that he was taken away too soon,
That his life could have continued to bear fruit.
Locked in the human condition, the cross is a hard one for us to bear.
Yet who he is, is not far from us,
And he will be there for us to provide the courage
That must be brought forth daily to strengthen our hearts
In his mortal absence

For we are not who we think we are,
We are not our body, our thoughts, or our feelings.
They are a part of us.
And we are not who we pretend to be,
We are much greater than this.
Here for just a moment, 'Locked in time, we belong to eternity'.

Belatedly, we discover that we are not the content of our life,
Rather, we are life's emptiness from whence true creation springs.
We are the no-thing-ness, the clean slate upon which life is written

Go now and feel his presence
As the sweet soft air that holds aloft the bird in flight
He is the deep waters of the lake upon which the lily grows,
He is the mists that swirl about the lonely paths,
He is the wind that shakes the barley



rod cameron

 

[JJ Roberts]

My condolences to the family of Mr.Grifnee and his many friends. J.J.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

That is awful news and hard to believe.

Phil was a great guy and friend to so many people on both sides of the Atlantic. I had the pleasure of his company in Reno many times often sharing a cigarette in the smoking room outside.

The engraving world is going to be a lot smaller place without him. He was a true master in every way.

My sincere condolences to his family and friends. He will be missed very much.

Andrew

 

[Alain Lovenberg]

Thank you Rod for this beautiful poem and thank you everybody for your condolences!
I will pass them to his son, his brothers and all his family.

 

[Mike Bissell]

My condolences to the family of Philippe Grifnee and to all his friends.

 

[Marcus Hunt]

That is such sad news. The world of engraving has lost a true Master.

 

[Roger Bleile]

I received the sad news about Phil from our friend John Barraclough before I opened the Cafe' today. Like everyone else, I was shocked then terribly saddened at the passing of a fine person and great master of our art. First Rene Delcour and now Philippe Grifnée, it is too much. The city of Liège should declare a day of mourning and the Ecole Léon Mignon should build a memorial.

As an artist is known by his work, I have included an image of Phil that I took in Reno in 2011 along with some of his wonderful work.

Requiescat in pace Philippe Grifnée.

 

[Dulltool]

It's just so sad..... my condolences to his family and friends.

 

[mrthe]

Sorry to know that ,my condolences to the family

 

[Artemiss]

Sad news indeed. What a loss to the engraving world!

 

[Neo Dutch]

I really liked the details in that H&H. Particularly how the griffins upset the lettering.

I have 2 shots of Phil's workspace somewhere. I liked the nudie calendars in the background.

 

[bram ramon]

I still have difficulties to believe it, He, His work almost everyday it was mentioned at school, He was like a god to us. May He rest in piece..

 

[Paulie]

Sad news, very sad. Since I discovered & absorbed everything that has anything to do with engraving, Mr. Grifnée's name and skills came up quite a few times. Now that I see those great photo's of the wonderful work he was creating....WOW he was a true master indeed!! My condolences to Phil's family & friends. Paulie

 

[MexicanEngraver]

Mi mas sentido pesame, RIP

 

[Jerry Stultz]

Heres a picture of Phil walking in his shop

Heres a picture of Phil walking in his shop. Brought back good memories of my visits with him.

 

[Martin Strolz]

I am deeply saddened by the news of Philippe’s sudden death. He will be greatly missed in the engraving world and I want to send my sincerest condolences for the loss to his family.
Sincerely,
Martin

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Well could be a stupid one asking what causes his dead. Just found out he was only one year older than me.

arnaus

 

[Jerry Stultz]

He died from swallowing a piece of meat that got stuck down his windpipe. His son found him and tried to revive him with the Heimlech manuever (so I understand) but when the paramedics arrived his brain had been w/o oxygen too long and the family took him off life support. He was a diabetic (for those who did not know) and was on Insulin... Did a stroke start the series of events? we will not know... He was a dear friend along with Rocky Capece, who is also a master in his own right! Rene is gone now Philippe... I have suggested to Steve Fjested to create an engraving book on Phil's work. Mentioned this to him in Las Vegas, and again today. Phil chronicled every gun he ever did and had volumes of books of his guns that would compile a 3 volume set easily. For the families sake I would like to see Steve take this on to do and complete to help the family in some sort of way.... Would suggest others press Steve too... Just my .02.... Hope this helps, we are so easily gone from this world, never promised tomorrow.

 

[JJ Roberts]

Jerry,I like your idea about a book on Mr.Grifnee engraving work,students and many friends. J.J.