Featured WRAPSconnect Project: In Loving Memory
WRAPSconnect panelist Kevin Kempf of PG NOLA showcases his moxie and talents
Kempf says, “When my mother passed away, I wrapped her casket to match a custom wrap we did for her Cadillac. She worked with me for the past 11 years before she passed. I made sure she left looking just as beautiful as she was while on this earth. That was a very proud moment for me, as it is still today. It was more than just wrapping a casket; it was 110-percent love and using what she was so proud of me for, to give back to her for all she has done for me.”
“The color was a custom one I made specifically for my mom when we originally wrapped her car a couple of years before she passed away. It’s kind of like a Tiffany Blue, but not exactly; it has more teal tones. It was printed on ORAFOL 3951-RA with KPMF Gloss Gold Starlight laminate. Various parts on her car that were chrome like her fender vents, mirror trip, front grill pieces, and rear hatch chrome piece were wrapped with just the raw Gold Starlight laminate to give the chrome some sparkle.”
“For the underlays on both the casket and the Cadillac, we just used a thicker vinyl, which we had left over from a previous client. I designed the lace for both items to fit within certain bodylines, but used Knifeless Tape to make sure the pattern stayed within the areas I wanted them to be. As far as being seamless, I just took my time to fold, trim and tuck in a way that you couldn’t see any seams.”
“The whole top of the casket was done in one piece, so the only areas that you can see seams were if you opened it up and saw where the vinyl ended up on the inside. The sides were done in only two pieces. One piece covered the front, then both sides. The other piece covered the backside, so the only seams were at the back corners, which were very clean as well. Also, on those gold handles on the casket, I hand laid more KPMF Gloss Gold Starlight laminate so they would sparkle as well. I did full jams on the casket too. I have a time-lapse video of the installation on my Facebook page.”
Kevin “The Professa” Kempf has been pushing the limits of wraps and designs for many years now, but is far from settling down. Though he might not post every day, you can trust that there are always new and creative things being worked on at PG NOLA, aka, The Mad Lab, located in New Orleans, specializing in custom one-off wrap design with various detailed elements.
Kevin has been in this business for over 19 years now, expecting many more to come. He has certifications from nearly every major brand on the market yet continues to expand his knowledge by learning new products and techniques as they are available.
Learn from Kevin at the WRAPSconnect panel
Meet the Masters @ WRAPSconnect brings top wrap industry influencers together to share their expertise on a variety of industry topics, sure to dazzle, inform, entertain, and befuddle (just kidding about the befuddling, though there may be some of that at the post-panel Happy Hour).
The panel meets at WRAPSCON @ GRAPHICS PRO EXPO in Long Beach, California, on Thursday, August 17, from 4-6 p.m. at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. There will be a 45-minute moderated session with the panel and 30 minutes of Q&A, concluding with a Wraps family Happy Hour, aka, Meet the Masters.
For more info, go to g-p-x.com/wrapscon. WRAPSCON is free with your registration to GRAPHICS PRO EXPO, which runs in Long Beach, August 17-19, with classes starting August 16.
