Artist Makes Portraits Of Jesus Holding Babies Who Have Passed Away To Help Minister to Grieving Families

Oct 30, 2019 by apost team

Too many families have lost babies before they ever got a chance to live, but one woman in Washington is using art to help these families persevere with memories of their departed loved ones and the faith that helps them grieve.

Ashley Harmon was first inspired to create the portraits after her sister-in-law suffered a miscarriage.

"I’m never very good at knowing what to say or having the perfect words, so I felt like creating something for her artistically would be something tangible that might bring some comfort, she told Apost. 

apost.com

Ashley then posted a copy of the portrait on her social media, as well as another one she made that portrayed a miscarriage she had herself, where she had an overwhelmingly positive response.

"They’ve turned from just portraying baby loss into memorials for anyone who’s lost a loved one," she added. "I’ve done every age, every situation."

 Ashley now owns an Etsy shop called "Harmony Design Shop." Customers can ask Ashley to create a customized version of their family portraits. They have the choice of either digital or watercolor prints. 

To show that a child was lost in a miscarriage, Ashley adds a rainbow to the child's shirt. It has only been one year, but Ashley's portraits are showing everyone how to comfort the families of babies lost to miscarriage. Ashley wrote a message on her shop's Facebook page that explained that her portraits weren't memorial portraits. They are portraits that commemorate Jesus in the act of helping these families through injury, illness or a difficult time. As they suffered, Jesus was there, and they wanted that to be represented in a portrait.

"I just love how people respond to them and that I’m able to create something that seems to be helping people find comfort and peace during difficult times."

What do you think of these portraits helping families with their grief? Let us know in the comments - and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family! 

Photo credits go to Ashley Harmon. You can check out her work on her Etsy page, Instagram or Facebook.