A memorial painting holds who they were — not just that they’re gone.
Original commissioned paintings of a loved one’s memory, created 1-on-1 with artist Preston Zeller. Your stories and your strong emotional attachment, transformed into a singular commemorative piece deeply unique to you.
Headstones mark a place. Keepsakes mark a loss. A painting holds a life.
The memorial is the culmination point for acquaintances and friends, but it’s just the beginning for you. Burial headstones are static and geographically limiting. His sweater, her perfume — keepsakes become mere reminders of your loss.
A memorial painting works differently. It doesn’t point backward at the loss — it carries the memory forward. Built from your stories in 1-on-1 consultations, it hangs in the rooms where your life happens, a daily presence instead of a periodic pilgrimage.
Why abstract memorial art?
A photograph already shows how they looked. An abstract painting can hold what they meant — and grief is anything but static. It’s deeply personal and changes as you do over time.
That’s why every commission begins with a deep dive into your memory of your loved one. The colors, movement, and feeling of the finished piece all trace back to that story — so the painting keeps revealing itself as your grief changes, the way a photograph never can.
From a year of painting through grief
In 2019, my own brother died. The aftermath of grief was such that I knew I had to do something drastic, so I threw myself into painting every day for a year — and developed a way to help others in their grief journey as well.
365 paintings · 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
“Honor it. Don't think there's a time frame to just get over it.”
— Tiffany Vaughan, collector
What families ask
What is a memorial painting?
A memorial painting is an original artwork commissioned to hold the memory of someone you love. Rather than marking where they rest, it captures who they were — built from your stories and memories in 1-on-1 consultations, and made to be lived with in your home.
Is a memorial painting a portrait?
It can be, but the work I create is abstract. A photograph already shows how they looked — an abstract painting can hold what they meant: the feeling of a kitchen on Sunday morning, the color of a favorite coat, the movement of a life. Collectors tell me that’s what keeps the piece alive as their grief changes over time.
Can my loved one's ashes be part of the painting?
Yes — some families choose to incorporate a small amount of their loved one’s ashes into the paint. Always an option, never a requirement. You can read more about cremation art paintings.
How much does a memorial painting cost?
Commissions start at $4,900. That includes the 1-on-1 consultations, 1–2 in-progress updates, fully insured shipping to your home, and a signed statement of authenticity for insurance, tax purposes, or resale.
What happens after I request a meeting?
You’ll hear back from me personally with next steps for setting a meeting. The first conversation is a no-obligation deep dive into your memory of your loved one — there’s no commitment until we’ve shaped a vision together that feels right to you.
You deserve something that reflects the uniqueness of your journey.
Send a meeting request — a no-obligation conversation, read personally by Preston. Or learn how ashes can become part of the painting.