JJ Galloway’s traditional oil paintings on panel uniquely blend animal portraiture with a whimsical culinary spin. Galloway’s peculiar aesthetic grew out of her love for wildlife and conservation, kindled while working in the public relations departments of the Maryland Zoo and the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The animals’ food crowns are inspired by her daughter’s habit of placing the first bite of every meal on her head, resulting in a playful approach that adds a humorous twist, without demeaning or anthropomorphizing her subjects. Her sources are as varied as the British Hat Guild, Downton Abbey, or the local second-hand bookstore, which she masterfully directs into witty smile-inducing tableaux.
Galloway holds a BS in Fine Arts and Marketing from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. In addition to being a full-time artist, she runs her own online gallery, JJ Galloway Studios, and is also a mentor and teacher, most notably at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Galloway works and lives in Annapolis, Maryland.
JJ GALLOWAY ON
I combine foods with animals to get expressive, surprising portraits. The art begins with a personality. I find the animal that suits that character and match it with a cuisine. For example, Sushi Snake depicts a green snake holding a piece of sushi in its mouth against a strawberry red backdrop. The piece was inspired by the grainy wood pattern on which I was painting and images of snakes in an old Japanese poster. By combining traditional painting techniques with unusual arrangements and bold coloring, I offer a whimsical twist on animal portraiture.
