I had the pleasure of meeting dear Spice before he passed. His mom invited me to their Southern California home to photograph this kitty in his last days and create a cat memorial portrait etched to enjoy and remember him by. Spice was like velcro with mom sticking very close to her. He was an incredible 22 years old! You can see their pictures taken HERE.

We went outside with him and also sat with him indoors, but his favorite place to be was right in mom’s arms. He loved being cozy and sitting on the couch too, which is where this picture from mom’s cell phone was taken in Spice’s earlier years. This Siamese kitty boy had the sweetest disposition, which is even noticeable in his expression with this cat memorial portrait.

Cat Memorial Portrait

I retouched out some of the distracting elements around Spice’s photo we used to create his art and then etched his photo to a metal plate.

I mixed together some ink and applied it on the metal plate. (The process can be seen at GreyboyPetPortraits.com.) Any excess ink was wiped off leaving the intaglio ink only in the grooves of the image, ready to be paired with the dampened Italian cotton paper. The plate and paper were placed carefully on the bed of the printing press and cranked through the machine leaving a vintage-looking impression onto the fine art paper that one can see and feel.

Why not just print this picture on a printer or have a box store spit it out? The etching is a handmade artwork with a letterpress feel and textured look. It seems to give the image depth and come alive.

I’m lucky to live close to this family and had the pleasure of delivering this custom cat memorial portrait in person. Spice’s mom placed his artwork directly up on the mantle to start enjoying it.

You will be remembered for a lifetime and beyond, Spice!

Love, Mandi / Greyboy Pet Prints
Pet Photoshoots in Southern CA
Handmade Pet Etchings from your photo