Artist Denice Lewis didn't start out to be an artist with the thought in mind to honor loved ones who had passed on. But today, this former super model turned a series of debilitating diseases into something positive and what is now a worldwide trend. This is the genesis of Lewis' ongoing "Tribute Series" of paintings. Truly many people are commissioning tribute paintings of their loved ones, for both people and
pet memorials alike.
After discovering she had fibromyalgia and severe osteo-arthritis, Lewis re-discovered her artistic inner self by picking up the brush once again, and found that there comes a magic time when in a moment's inspiration she connects with the essence of her subject and the canvas captures the image on its own.
Most of Lewis' work is abstract art defined as "art that picks up where religious art left off--it renders the same feelings refined to the essence of color and form." The artist’s brush strokes are magnificent manifestations of her internal spirit and the powerful emotions that are conveyed to the viewer are often primal and intense.
Her artistic forays into color, texture and light lead viewers on a path to inner joy, beauty and bliss, or equally important into self-examination, including sensitive and painful memories of losing loved ones. The ashes are painted into an abstract expression of a loved one's life and her paintings serve as a memorial to celebrate departed loved ones, whether a friend, family member or the family pet.
As the canvases accumulate, Denice does yet another painting to celebrate a clients mother's life. What's intriguing is that the client's mom has recently passed on and somehow the idea of mixing strands of her hair with the paint makes perfect sense. But at her friend's suggestion, she also includes the cremains of her beloved pet dog, a Keeshond named Bogart after removing a pinch of ashes from his
pet urn. A Denice Lewis
pet tribute painting helps people through the healing process after their loved one has passed on.
The artist began paint in this special way after a trip back in 1986 to Bali,which she says is probably one of the most spiritual places that she has ever been. "They don't even allow babies to touch the ground before they are a year old, and they carry them everywhere. They have a tremendous respect for Spirit. You can feel in the air, you can smell it, it permeates everything. Plus, everyone has a smile on their face, joy in their hearts. These people really know how to celebrate life." Lewis was particularly moved by the fact that in Bali, funeral where friends, family and even strangers celebrated the life of the deceased with a marvelous festive send off. "This ceremony resonated with my spirit, and fast forwarding to the present, serves as the blessing for my Tribute series of paintings where I mix the ashes of the dearly departed with my oils and acrylics and paint an abstract expression of their spirit or soul. They serve as a lasting memorial."
An animal lover and supporter of all animal rights herself, Lewis' own pet cats, Cecil and Monkee, and her Chihuahua, Shakespeare, often watch as she paints what ends up as a healing experience for the family and survivors of other pet owners that have had loved ones pass over. Her fine art and tribute portraits are available through Peternity.com. Families simply send a photograph of their beloved pet, share some ashes from the cremains and talk with Lewis so that she can pick up a sense of the pet that has passed on for the
pet memorial. Then the work begins. One magazine article says it all, "Look once, and you'll miss it. Look twice, and it's just another painting. But if you hold your gaze, you'll discover something else entirely. This is more than just oil and acrylic colors . . . this is a celebration of a life well lived."
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