Their ashes, held in a painting made from your memories.
Cremation art paintings by Preston Zeller: original commissioned abstract works with your loved one’s ashes incorporated into the paint itself. Not a keepsake from a catalog — a piece built 1-on-1 from who they were to you.
What is cremation art?
Cremation ashes are often left stuck in the box you were given and fail to transform beyond that. Cremation art changes this — a small amount of your loved one’s ashes becomes part of a lasting artwork, so what remains of them is no longer something stored, but something lived with.
It takes many forms — glass, jewelry, resin. What I create is different: an original abstract painting where the ashes are worked into the paint, and the painting itself is designed from your memories. The ashes make the piece physically theirs. The story we build together makes it unmistakably yours.
Personal, but not personalized — solved.
Off-the-shelf products like urn necklaces and memorial glass are a nice touch, but they lack a personal touch that taps into your unique relationship with your loved one.
Catalog keepsakesGlass, jewelry, resin
Chosen from a product page. The ashes are included, but the design was finished before anyone knew your loved one’s name. Beautiful, small, and often ends up kept in a drawer.
A commissioned paintingMade once, for one family
Begins with 1-on-1 conversations about your memory of them. Every color and movement in the piece traces back to your story — and it hangs where you live, a presence in the room rather than a relic in a box.
Paintings from a lived grief journey
In 2019, my own brother died. I threw myself into painting every day for a year — 365 paintings that became the documentary The Art of Grieving. I’ve lived the process I take families through.
Director, The Art of Grieving · As featured on CBS, NPR, NBC, FOX, and KTLA 5
See more of the work on the homepage gallery.
Your memories, brought to life
Grief is anything but static. It’s deeply personal and changes as you do over time. This is why I focus on a personal process to create your painting. Here’s how it works.
- 01
1 on 1 Commission Consultations
During this process, we do a deep dive into your memory of your loved one. If this is a collective memory, broader stories are helpful as well.
- 02
Create a Shared Vision
By looking at previous grief-inspired works I’ve done, we’ll identify a visual aesthetic that works well to convey your story.
- 03
Blueprint Your Piece
In combining the memories of your loved one, your desires, and selecting a visual aesthetic, we create a blueprint for a piece unique to you and your loved one.
- 04
In-Progress Updates
During the process, you receive 1-2 updates of the piece to ensure we’re on track and capturing your vision.
- 05
Receive Your Original Painting
The painting is shipped to your home, fully insured, and with a signed statement of authenticity for insurance, tax purposes, or resale.
Commissions start at $4,900
One original painting, made once, for one family. Shipped fully insured, with a signed statement of authenticity for insurance, tax purposes, or resale.
Request a MeetingNo-obligation conversation · Read personally by Preston
“Get a support system, and consider investing in something that's personal to you for the process.”
— Mark Huffman, collector
What families ask
How are ashes incorporated into a cremation painting?
A small amount of your loved one’s ashes is worked directly into the paint and texture layers of the piece. The finished painting doesn’t announce it — it simply holds them. During our consultation I’ll walk you through exactly how the ashes are handled, incorporated, and cared for at every step.
Do I have to include ashes in the painting?
No — ashes are always an option, never a requirement. Many families commission a memorial painting built purely from memories and stories. The process is the same either way; the ashes are simply one more way the piece can hold your loved one.
How much do the ashes change the look of the painting?
Very little, and that’s intentional. The painting is designed from your memories — its color, movement, and feeling come from the story we build together in consultation. The ashes become part of the material of the piece, not its subject.
How is this different from cremation glass art or jewelry?
Glass keepsakes and urn jewelry are made from a catalog — personal, but not personalized. A commissioned painting starts with 1-on-1 conversations about who your loved one was, and no two pieces have ever been alike. It also lives on your wall, in the rooms where your life happens, rather than in a drawer or on a shelf.
How much does a cremation art painting cost?
Commissions start at $4,900. That includes the consultations, 1–2 in-progress updates, fully insured shipping to your home, and a signed statement of authenticity for insurance, tax purposes, or resale.
Ready to learn more about personalized grief art?
Send a meeting request — a no-obligation conversation, read personally by Preston. Or explore memorial paintings without ashes.