Jessica Dougherty pin-up artist | 1/2

b.1975

Jessica Dougherty paints women who are soft and supple, opinionated and bitchy, inviting and compassionate, strong and smart

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"You need to have a base that it is recognizably you and your work but you also need to keep growing and trying new things to remain an interesting artist to watch."

Jessica Dougherty grew up moving from place to place but considers herself a good "Southern Girl" from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where much of her family still resides.

"I paint pinups because I love all things beautiful and enjoy the same sense of playful sensuality that I found in the old pin-up masters' works such as Gil Elvgren. I love nothing better than a good giggle and eyebrow raise when looking at an artwork and I strive to achieve the same result in my works.

"I believe that what makes a woman beautiful lies not only on the outside, but must also radiate from the inside. Therefore, I find my favorite subjects to paint are those women whose distinct personalities I already know or can easily see in their photos. Often it is not your run of the mill super model that elicits a physical or emotional response but rather, the woman you see in your local coffee shop. The mere fact that they are "real" and attainable makes their image more seductive and personal. All of the women that I paint, including myself, are women who truly exist in the world (looking their best of course). They are not victims but instead, proud and unashamed of their sexuality. To me, that is the ultimate form of feminism."

continued in next gallery