Painting with ashes: Idaho artist brings portraits of deceased loved ones to life

KUNA (KIVI) — Paintings and portraits can help preserve the memory of lost loved ones — but a Kuna artist goes a step further by incorporating ashes into those works of art.

“You hate to say you have a favorite dog, but she really was our favorite,” said Mark Gilmore.

He and his wife Loree were heartbroken when they lost their beloved 7-year-old Brittany Odee suddenly last year.

“We wanted to have a great memorial of her, and so we had the picture painted,” said Loree Gilmore.

This portrait, which is now proudly displayed in their living room, isn’t just a picture of Odee. It’s hand-painted with Odee’s ashes.

“You can always send off a print and have it done either on glass or on canvas or whatever, and that’s a nice representation of the animal, but to know that the actual ashes are there, that a part of the dog is with that painting just means so much more, I think,” said Mark Gilmore.

It was an emotional assignment for artist Dusty Ham.

“It’s like a weight off your shoulders when you’re done painting it,” said Ham.

He paints mostly pets but has also done a handful of people. Each time, he honors the family’s wishes for a one-of-a-kind painting to remember their loved one.

“But when you get human remains, you’re like, ‘OK, I cannot mess this up,’ because you only get one shot,” added Ham.

His first attempt was in honor of his wife’s dog Odin.

“When he showed me Odin it was just like a huge relief came out. I can’t explain to you it was like Odin was alive again,” said Ham’s wife.

He sifts the ashes into a fine powder and then adds adhesive.

“Then I’ll do like a basic drawing, and I’ll spread the ashes on the canvas and the silhouette that you see here of the animal, because like this is soft canvas, but right here it’s more grit like really thick sandpaper almost,” Ham explained.

After the ashes dry, he completes the portrait with acrylic paint.

“Well, my favorite part is when I hand over a painting. They see it for the first time, and they instantly just start crying,” said Ham.

“I started to cry when I saw the picture because it looked exactly like her,” said Loree Gilmore.

“Even a grown man and underground miner, you know, just a super tough guy, big biker guy, you know… tears like that snap when I gave it to him. He was like, ‘Oh my gosh,'” added Ham.

It’s a rewarding interaction he’s experienced more than 40 times.

“You’re handing it back to them. It’s something that’s so fragile, and you’ve turned it into this sort of concrete thing that’s stable, and it’s not going anywhere. It’s going to be there for years and years for them to enjoy,” said Ham.

“But when you look at the picture that Dusty did, it’s amazing! I mean, it looks like she’s alive, she’s looking at you. So for that, it was well worth it,” said Mark Gilmore.

You can contact Ham to commission a painting or see more of his art here.

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