Cat Memorial Paintings
The only downside to having cats is that they leave us too soon.
Cat memorials can be a great way to celebrate life’s greatest kitty companions and keep their memories close. And the best pet portrait artists are the ones who can work with you to capture your best friend exactly as you remember them.
In this article I’ll share some of the ways I can work with you to personalize these paintings, whether you’re looking for a cat memorial gift for a friend or family member, or a remembrance object for yourself.
In the examples below, I worked with my clients to produce an original painting of their cat that became more than photos could offer.
Whether it was adding mementos, fixing the lighting, or creating something completely new from a composite of photos, these paintings took something that was already special–the bond between cats and their owners– and turned it into art.
Adding Mementos to Cat Memorial Gifts & Art
Sometimes cats have favourite toys, collars or other objects that would make the memorial a stronger piece. And when composing a painting, it’s really easy to add these in!
Lots of cats have special collars, but they’re not always showing in your favourite pictures of them. But it’s ok if you can’t take a new photo–they can still be included in the painting.
Painting More Than One Cat
Sometimes you don’t have the perfect photo to work from when making a cat memorial painting, especially if you want two cats together. But that’s ok, because art gives you the freedom to make changes!
If you never quite captured the perfect reference of your cats together, I can create a composite from what’s available.
In this portrait, it was important to get the two cats together, but Boots (the handsome fluffy fellow on the right), had recently passed.
Using the two photos below, this 24″x36″ memorial portrait captured the two cats together perfectly.
Fixing Lighting
Everyone says black cats are hard to paint, but really they’re an opportunity for lighting to make a statement. Lighting is also an option for changing the mood of an image. What was your kitty like? Friendly? Dramatic? Total diva? I want to make something for you that really captures the essence of your friendship, and lighting is one of the tools in the toolbox.
Back-lighting is sometimes a concern with photos, but back-lit cat photos don’t have to turn into back-lit paintings. You can get creative with how the photos you have can turn into the art that you want.
Cat memorial portraits are all about keeping the happy times you had with your kitty visible in your home. And I’m here to help make that happen.
If you’re looking for a way to celebrate a past cat of yours, or someone you know, cat portraits are a great option.
Learn more about how I paint on my YouTube channel.
Or try painting with ashes yourself! Read about how to paint with ashes, and watch a video tutorial here.
