Woohoo – Greyboy Pet Prints was included in The Los Angeles Times article titled “11 Ways to Memorialize a Beloved Pet.” The article listed some very creative pet memorial ideas I had not even seen before, and Greyboy Pet Portraits made the list.
If you’ve been part of this community for a while, you know the story behind the name. Greyboy wasn’t just a fun word I picked. It was the nickname for my Russian Blue cat, Jake, who we rescued from the local shelter as a kitten. 15 years later, when I said goodbye to him, the grief was so much bigger than I expected, and it changed the direction of everything I do.
That loss is what led me to start creating pet portrait etchings that can even incorporate a pet’s ashes right into the artwork, so families have something that shows their pet’s face, not just a paw print or an urn tucked away in a closet.
Here’s what I told Yvonne, the author of this article:
“I feel so deeply about people being able to celebrate and remember their pets forever because we all know they don’t live as long as we’d like.”
That’s really the heart of everything I make. The etchings, from the mini portraits all the way up to the complete keepsake memorial art with a paw print and even a lock of fur included. These handmade artworks are not just products. They’re a way to keep a pet present in your life, front and center, to celebrate their life for the rest of yours.
Why a Physical Keepsake Matters
I hear from a lot of grieving pet parents who tell me the same thing. They get back a paw print, or an urn with their pet’s ashes, and it feels incomplete. So how do they capture the personality, the expression, the little details that made that animal so specifically them?
That’s the gap I wanted to close. An etching shows their face and brings their personality front and center. It’s something you can hang on a wall or set on a mantle and actually see every day, not something you tuck away. Our beloved pets deserve a place in our homes, honored, front and center.
How the Etchings Are Made
Every pet portrait starts on my grandmother’s printing press, which is honestly one of my favorite parts of this whole business. There’s something meaningful about creating something so personal on a tool that’s been in my family.
Depending on what feels right for your family, an etching can be:
- A simple black-and-white pet portrait, capturing your pet’s likeness alone.
- Just a little etching of their boopable nose, a smaller and more affordable way to memorialize your pet’s most distinctive feature.
- A complete keepsake etching, combining the portrait with a paw print, a personal item like a collar or tag, and if you’d like, your pet’s ashes worked directly into the piece.
There’s no single right way to do this. Some families want something simple. Others want every piece of their pet’s story woven into one keepsake. Both are exactly right.
The Complete Keepsake Memorial Etching Featured in the Article
The image the LA Times used alongside my feature is a complete keepsake memorial etching I made for a cat named Kitty, for Kitty’s mom here in Southern California. She sent me a paw print she’d saved, a little lock of fur, and a small amount of Kitty’s ashes. I worked a tiny bit of those ashes right into the ink of the etching, and added a bit more into the little wax seal on the piece. Then I hand colored Kitty’s eyes just lightly, enough to bring the magic to the art without losing the black-and-white etching style.
That piece is a good example of what I mean when I say every keepsake tells its own story. It wasn’t just an image of a cat. It was Kitty, in the ways that mattered most to the person who loved her most: her mom.
More Creative Pet Memorial Ideas from the Article
The piece isn’t just about my work. It rounds up eleven different creative pet memorial ideas, and what I love about it is that it goes well beyond the usual suggestions. There are tattoo artists who specialize in pet memorial ink, options for turning a pet’s ashes into a diamond, and even a memorial stone made to be held in your hand. It’s a genuinely creative list, not just the same handful of ideas you see everywhere.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what to do with a pet’s ashes, or looking for a way to keep their memory somewhere you can actually see or hold, it’s worth reading the whole thing. Grief is not one size fits all, and neither is memorializing the companion pet who got you through so much.
Read the full LA Times article
If You’re Considering an Etching of Your Own
If this is the nudge you needed to finally do something with your pet’s ashes, fur, or collar, I’d love to help. You can see the full range of what I offer, from a mini pet portrait to a complete keepsake etching, on the portraits page:
And if you have questions before you’re ready to order, whether it’s about the process, timing, or what to send me, just reach out. I answer every message myself, and I know how tender this decision can be. There’s no rush and no pressure, just support whenever you’re ready.
Thank you for being part of this little community and for trusting me with something as tender as your pet’s memory. I’m here to help handcraft a stunningly beautiful keepsake for you to cherish and enjoy!
