Jessica Dougherty (b.1975)

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

Jessica Dougherty..."I think it is wonderful to be a woman and celebrate my femininity through my artwork."

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 pin-ups 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.

"Most of my family, being scientists and technical types, do not understand why I paint nude women but seem to be content with the fact that it makes me happy. I now live with my husband and children in Seattle. I received my B.A. from the University of Washington in June, 2001 and have been painting free-lance ever since. My work has been shown at the Echo Gallery in Chicago with the likes of Olivia de Berardinis in a joint show for the renowned Robert Bane Gallery from Los Angeles. My series of paintings called the "Juicy Fruits" also showed at the Echo Gallery in a show with "Heavy Metal" great, Lorenzo Sperlonga and the famous Hildebrandt brothers. Pieces of my work have also been collected by the MOP Pin-up gallery in Readlyn, Iowa as well as by private collectors all over the US and abroad."