COURTESY DAVITA GALLOWAY

Davita Galloway, co-owner of Dupp & Swat, launched “Colored Girls,” a collection of mixed media portraits.

A work break sparked inspiration for Davita Galloway’s mixed media portraits.

Galloway, an award-winning costume designer and co-owner of Dupp & Swat, a creative studio in Camp North End, launched “Colored Girls,” a collection of mixed media portraits that will debut Nov. 26, Small Business Saturday.

Galloway, who earned the outstanding costume design award from the Metrolina Theatre Association for her work on Brand New Sheriff Productions’ “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” was looking for a way to take it easy.

“I’m a creative through and through, and I can ‘art’ in a variety of mediums,” she said. “I think I needed to remind myself of this. Initially, I was motivated to create as a form of relaxed expression, now I’m motivated to keep creating because of the satisfaction I get in completing the process. And, it’s a dope way to repurpose my costume inventory.”

Galloway found herself with a break between productions in October, and a need to find another use for excess fabric and offload inventory. That was the inspiration for “Colored Girls,” a 25-piece collection of mixed media art with varying colors, prints and patterns. Each work has a first and middle name inspired by the intricacies of women.

“I didn’t know I was going to make faces,” Galloway said. “I just wanted to create. But as I started assessing my inventory and finding jewels, textured trim and such, I wanted to inform women of how beautiful and rich our unique characteristics are — thus, each piece is different and remarkable on its own.”

Prices for the pieces start at $175 and will go on sale from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Dupp & Swat’s Camp North End studio, 1824 Statesville Ave., as well as online at thedavitagalloway.com. Galloway is open to doing more on the commercial side as well.

“I absolutely see myself continuing this collection for a while and having exhibits in various galleries,” she said. “I’d also love to have the works sold in an assortment of retailers.”

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