The artist behind PigsleyArt.com
Welcome to the story behind PigsleyArt.com. Get to know the artist, Barbara Moran and the influences behind every creation.
Before PigsleyArt.com, I was an artist but also an antique toy collector and dealer.
The inspiration for my work first came from my attraction to all fat animals, especially pigs. I got my first pig, Ms. Honkey Pearl, back in the 70's (now deceased) and she was featured in my artwork for a number of years. I actually wanted to study the pig to make my images a bit more realistic.
My second pig, Miss Pigsley was born in 2003 (also sadly deceased in 2013). I had taken a break of a few years from art to concentrate on toys, and then along came Miss Pigsley….. she became the muse for a whole series of whimsical paintings and drawings. I was back in the studio!
It all began with the "Retablos" series. Painted on tin in 2010, the retablos or ex-votos were inspired by the traditional Mexican religious images created to give thanks for deliverance from "travails". It became clear that Miss Pigsley, with her own share of travails, certainly deserved her own set of retablos.
This evolved into another delightful series where Miss Pigsley took on the roles of famous personalities, from Queen Victoria to the iconic Mona Lisa.
My background in collecting antique Japanese toys proved to be a jumping off point for an additional series of drawings and paintings started in 2025. featuring 1950's era Japanese Toys: motorcycles, bonnet buses, robots, space toys etc.
With all their fabulous 50's colors and wonderful box art , they were all I needed to get this series started.
My most recent work honors the Japanese graphic images on menko cards, sugoroku games and other paper Japanese collectibles. Kaiju monsters, Yokai demons, Japanese Heroes, and vintage Japanese characters are all celebrated.
The next painting is going to have a Yokai in a suguroku theme....Japanese demons, ghouls and other strange creatures on a board game.
Crafting each masterpiece
As a former art teacher, I enjoy working with diverse mediums. My "Retablos" series, for instance, is painted on tin, with a nod to the traditional folk art and the stylistic form of the retablo (with no regard for the constraints of time and space).
I was introduced to the Ex-Votos and Retablos and loved the style and images...but they needed pigs! So, as usual I researched saints, studied historic works and images and then did it my way. All pigs all the time.
My newer work is more about my collecting days. I loved the 50's colors and images on the 1950's toys and had a huge collection.The motorcycles, scooters, bonnet buses, rocket ships, robots, and other whimsical toys are mostly gone but they are now immortalized in paint and print.
My most recent work honors the Japanese graphic images on menko cards, sugoroku games and other paper Japanese collectibles.
