At the start of 2018 I gave myself permission to paint what only what I wanted to paint and not worry about whether or not anyone else liked it. With this new found freedom, came authenticity and my business took off! I wanted to paint food. In 2019 I was asked to create an installation for a show in New York. I was asked to make sure the theme of the artwork would capture the New York cult-like food scene. They wanted the art to SCREAM New York foods! So, I tossed some ramen onto of a pigeon’s head and put some chop sticks in his beak for my concept pitch. The idea was a hit! The inspiration for the original ramen pigeon painting came from a childhood habit of my daughters to put the first taste of every meal on top of her head before she would clear her plate. She would eat the whole meal with that piece of food on her head! That in combination with my past jobs a public relations manager at the Maryland Zoo and the National Aquarium in Baltimore where I learned mountains of information about all kinds of animals and their conservation were the foundation for the series. A love for animals, cuisine and millinery…Voilà! Animal food crowns. JJ Galloway is an internationally known fine artist, illustrator and lecturer. She resides in Annapolis, Maryland.