John Harley

Harley's Country Store and Beer Garden was opened in 2004 and we started coming to enjoy the music, and the BBQ. We got to know the man that started it all, known to all as John Harley.  John died in 2014.  In 2016 we commissioned a painting to be done in his memory. 

It arrived!  We were so excited to see it.It was well packaged. We had it delivered to our friends, Bob and Mary,  who arrived in Texas before us; it had waited here a few months until we arrived..It was the painting of John Harley done by the renowned Nova Scotian painter, David MacIntosh.  As we unrolled the canvas and saw, for the first time, the painting of our friend, John Harley.Johnny Paul Nolan was the mastermind behind Harley's Country Store and Beer Garden located in Bayview Texas.We found the place shortly after it opened in 2004 and have spent our winters parked here ever since. We got to know this man over the years.  He was indeed a character! We loved his music, his wit, his vision for this Honkey Tonk in south Texas, and his good nature. He and Will were often referred to as brothers and both played along with that story so that many believed it to be true.  In their hearts, they were.  Will bought stretcher boards and stretched the canvas.IHe had to touch up the edges as our stretchers were a little larger than the originals, but it all worked out.What a masterpiece.  David had captures the spirit of John, the twinkle of his eyes, the grin.  It was perfect. Sylvia, John's wife, thought it was very real looking.Calida, his daughter noticed that even his scar was there. We sat in Calida's office and talked about where to hang it and about Calida making a frame for it.Looks like that will be a good spot; John will always have Sylvia's back.  Calida used the cherry wood John had hauled all the way down here years ago.The painting fit just right.Yep looks great!The presentation photo.Time to hang it up in the bar. Gary handed it up to Jim.And Jim got it positioned just right.Willie Nelson is looking up at John!Will steadied the ladder as Jim climbed down; the painting is now where it belongs.









.This small plaque will be mounted in the bar.







Kathy Martinelli-Zaun
William G Bradley, JR


Today is a good day to drive!

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