By now, you've probably seen Sally Nixon's drawings.
Fans flock to her on Instagram and her prints don't stay stocked in herEtsy shop for long.
Why are people so taken with images of women doing everyday things like eating cake at their kitchen sink, putting on socks, or sitting on the toilet while their dog watches? As Nixon told The Creators Project, "[...] my goal with each drawing is to elevate the seemingly mundane to something special and worthy of being viewed."
It looks like that's exactly what she's done.
ATTN: spoke with Nixon about her art that depicts women in a most unusual way — as real people.
ATTN:: Are your drawings ever based on actual people?
Nixon: Sometimes. Some of them are based on me or people I know. They’re almost never an exact portrayal, though. Usually I’ll take one specific feature, such as their hair or their sense of style, and create a new character based on that.
ATTN:: Do you think women tend to be sexualized in art? Is your art a response to that?
Nixon: For sure, but I wouldn’t say my art is a response to that. Not intentionally, at least. I enjoy drawing women who look like real people. It’s way more interesting and challenging, in a good way, to me. I also want people to be able to relate to my artwork and see themselves in the women I draw.
ATTN:: I love how realistic your work is, specifically, the little details, like the slight roll of the woman's tummy as she's bending over to pull up her socks...
Or the Cheese Puffs stains on the white T-shirt of the girl reading in her undies.
Nixon: I like for my drawings to have a narrative quality to them. These little imperfections and details help tell a story about each of the women I draw.
ATTN:: Do you think women are represented enough in the art world?
Nixon: No. I don’t think there will ever be "enough." There needs to be more women and more diversity overall in the art world.
ATTN:: Who are some of your favorite female artists that you wish more people knew about?
Nixon: I'm in love with Phoebe Wahl's illustrations. They're whimsical but not in a cutesy way. They're so gorgeous. I'm also obsessed with anythingTuesday Bassen does.
ATTN:: How do you decide what scenes to draw?
Nixon: I love drawing rooms or environments for my characters to inhabit. I start by deciding what location I feel like drawing, like a bathroom or a restaurant, etc. Then I decide if there will be one person or multiple people in the scene and what they’re doing. Most of the scenes come from moments from my own life. I came up with the girl brushing her teeth in the shower while I myself was brushing my teeth in the shower.
ATTN:: Out of all the drawings you've done, which one in particular connects with you the most?
Nixon: Probably the one of the girl sitting on the toilet as her dog watches. I’ve been in that situation way too many times to count.
Edit: This is the artist
