Rural Missouri - May 2014 - (Page 28)

ART FROM ASHES Artist and graphic designer Adam Brown creates moving portraits for those who grieve M by Heather Berry hberry@ruralmissouri.coop ichelangelo had his Sistine Chapel. Leonardo da Vinci, his Mona Lisa. Vincent Van Gogh, his famous vase of sunﬂowers. One Missourian is becoming well known for his unique artwork, too, by adding a life into ashes. The ashes of loved ones, that is. "People either love it or are repulsed by the thought," says 33-year-old artist Adam Brown. "If someone ﬁnds it creepy, I just tell them they don't have to purchase one. Those who do seem truly touched by the service I offer." Whether it's a striking portrait or a pastoral landscape, many of Adam's paintings have one thing in common - each contains a few ounces of the love one's cremated remains as a permanent memorial. Adam, who lives in Grandview, attended Drury College and the Missouri Fine Arts Academy. A graphic designer by trade, he has started to ﬁnd that his painting talents are raising some eyebrows while bringing in the business. Adam's ashes-to-art niche began a few years ago when a friend of a friend saw his artistic abilities and asked him to paint a portrait and include cremated ashes in the image. "I thought, 'Yeah, I guess so,'" Adam recalls. So he ﬁgured out the process he wanted to use and created the painting. "I thought I might have an odd reaction to handling human remains, but it wasn't strange to me at all. It was just another medium to work in," says Adam. "I wear gloves and handle the ashes respectfully. Any remaining ashes are returned with the ﬁnished artwork." Adam wants people to understand tively to Adam's artistic service. that he's not mixing ashes in the "While I love his portraits, I chose a scenic paint and painting the entire image. to remember my mother by," says Tacy The remains, while ash-like in appearBianchi-Holman of Belton. "So he painted * ance, still contain miniscule pieces of the peaceful image for me and added Grandview bone. That's why he only adds it to the her ashes as the landscape. People keep background of a painting. The material is a ashes in urns in their homes and that's lot like sand in texture. their choice. I chose to remember my mother in this beautiful way. And Adam says it only takes 2 to 8 ounces of ashes for a painting. The amount depends nobody knows unless I care to tell them upon the ﬁnal canvas size. about it." In addition to sending him the Clients also may commission Adam while they ashes, Adam asks clients to include are alive and can approve the artwork. Then, when a high-quality photo of the scene they die, should the family choose, ashes may be or image of the loved one he's added at no extra charge. painting. As he begins sketchAdam signs each piece and includes a written ing the image, he sends description on the back stating that the work was email proofs for approval. created using some human remains - just in case Upon ﬁnal approval, Adam the image falls into the hands of someone who is carefully adds ashes in the unaware of Adam's methods. "I agreed-upon segments of always say, 'Having ashes in an the artwork, lets it dry a urn on the ﬁreplace is a good few days, then seals the way to constantly rememremains with an acrylic ber that someone died," he matte sealer or epoxy. The says, "but using their ashes image is then framed and to create a piece of art is a put behind glass. The artist says beautiful way to rememthe entire process takes two weeks, ber they lived." depending upon his workload. While images can run from 8 by 10 inches to 24 For more details, visit by 36 inches, Adam says 16 by 20 inches seems to be www.adamsartgallery.com or the most popular size requested. Prices start at $250. email adamlikestopaint@ Adam says he's completed 30 pieces of ash artgmail.com. work since 2011. He says funeral homes also are beginning to offer his service to families as a way to create a lasting memorial alternative. "Missing someone can be overwhelming, and I like to think the loved ones art can help ease the pain in some way," Adam says. Clients are responding posi- "Missing someone can be overwhelming, and I like to think the loved ones art can help ease the pain in some way." - Adam Brown Below: These images represent Adam's portrait style. While they do not have ashes in them, Adam says ashes may be added later. Right: This artwork was commissioned by Tacy Bianchi-Holman of Belton, who wanted to remember her mother with a scenic image. Her mother's ashes form the rocks in this image. 28 WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP http://www.adamsartgallery.com http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - May 2014

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Rural Missouri - May 2014