I'm sad to report that Toni Raia, our friend and great artist has unexpectedly passed away.
His death leaves a void that I cannot imagine will be filled soon, or easily.
I'd like to think that a part of his soul will remain in the art that adorns virtually all our motorcycles and that through his work he made our motorcycles better; I'll certainly think about him every time the sun shines on my Fastback, or my Sportster, or the Rising Star.
He was not only one of those rare people gifted with skill and artistic sensibility beyond mere technique, he was a gentle man, a humble, honest and kind person who was enthusiastic about making us happy with his dope paintjobs, and who loved his craft, his friends, his family, and whom we will all miss very much.
Every time I took delivery of a gas tank or a fender, I was always blown away by the depth of the color, the warmth of the overall appearance, a timeless look that showed what some might regard as imperfections, but which were in fact the very essence of his work. Not to say that his work was imperfect, on the contrary, he was so good that he was able to mix his own Prana into the paint, and the result was a metaphysical quality to his work, to the finished product, that cannot be matched.
Every time... and I would say "wow man, you really outdid yourself this time!" or "this is incredible, look at it!!" and every time... he had this little smile about him, a touch of pride in his eye but immediately followed by "beh, è un po' così, questa è un po' ajo e oglio..." because he probably preferred to know that you were happy, rather than be praised.
Ride free, Toni.
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