Elizabeth Austin (b.1962)

"I grew up in a suburb of San Diego, California, called El Cajon. I migrated to the Midwest in 1989, where I still live with my husband, two children and a menagerie of pets.

Elizabeth Austin.

"I first discovered the beauty of "the pinup", around the age of  four. I found an uncle's stash of "girly" magazines. It was then that I got my first glimpse of the work of Alberto Vargas and I was hooked. I knew then, I wanted to create art and specifically specifically, pinup girls.

"I'm a self taught artist and was drawing before I started kindergarten.

"I purchased my first airbrush in the 1980's, to aid me in painting the faces of a line of dolls I created called "The Children Of Enchantment'' and "The Star Eyes Collection". The dolls were sold world wide, and to exclusive shops on Rodeo Drive.

"I also paint motorcycles, helmets, surfboard and just about anything you can imagine! All of my motorcycle paint jobs have taken home first place trophies!

"I first showed my pinup girls at the Chicago V.A.M.P show (Vintage And Modern Pinups) in 2001. I sold out, much to my delight. Daniel Pokrajac, a writer and collector of fine art, purchased all of my works, and wrote an article describing me as "one of the leading female artists arriving on the art scene".

"I also practice the art of tattooing. I'm a licensed tattoo artist, and have been putting art on skin for approximately five years.

"Pinups are definitely my first love. I'm very inspired by music, many of my paintings are titled after favourite songs. However, when I feel low or uninspired, I simply turn to the works of the two men that I consider the "Masters of The Pinup". Those two men are Alberto Vargas and Carlos Cartagena."