Tom Palmore, Proud as a Peacock, 2026, Oil & acrylic on canvas, 30 x 36 inches. Courtesy/LewAllen Galleries
Tom Palmore, Northern Beauty, 2026, Oil & acrylic on canvas, 24 x 18 inches. Courtesy/LewAllen Galleries LewAllen Galleries News:
LewAllen Galleries at 1613 Paseo de Peralta in Santa Fe unveils its latest “Feature of the Week”.
For more than 50 years, artist Tom Palmore has captivated audiences with his wry and humorous portraits of animals, birds, and other wildlife subjects. His evocative and amazingly detailed paintings playfully upend the traditions of portraiture, encouraging viewers to regard these creatures as sentient beings with their own inner emotional lives.
In this work, Palmore features a magnificent Steller’s Jay, identifiable by its shaggy black triangular crest and the striking transition from charcoal-black on its head and shoulders to a deep, iridescent blue on its body and tail. This vivid, hyper-realistic bird is dramatically set against a mountain wilderness, evoking the rugged beauty of a landscape complete with jagged, snow-capped peaks and dense evergreen trees. The bird is perched on a perfectly rounded, sculptural stone—a hallmark of Palmore’s signature portrait style that elevates the animal to the status of a theatrical subject. The work showcases his remarkable detail and ability to inject a regal quality into his subject, magnifying the sensitivity and awareness expressed through its commanding gaze.
Palmore’s unique approach lends his subjects a dignity and grandeur—qualities of nobility, honor, and even royalty—that elevates them to the level of great historical personages. Central to the appeal of his art is his humor and wit, which shine through in the discernible personalities and penetrating gazes of his subjects.
Palmore is simultaneously witty and serious, creating vivid, realistic animals set against unexpected backdrops. His work is held in prestigious public collections, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
About LewAllen Galleries:
LewAllen Galleries was established in 1976 in Santa Fe and has been a pioneering force for contemporary and modern art, maintaining a robust schedule of exciting exhibitions, publications, and educational programs. LewAllen Galleries at 613 Paseo de Peralta in Santa Fe is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Visit ewallengalleries.com.
Tom Palmore, Hidden in Plain Sight, 2026, Oil & acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36 inches. Courtesy/LewAllen Galleries
Tom Palmore, Before Creation, 2026, Oil & acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 inches. Courtesy/LewAllen Galleries