The wonderfully real world of women.
Nixon's insight is simple and beautiful.Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
Well, take a look at Sally Nixon's illustrations and you'll see.
Just girly things.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
The subjects in her artwork aren't aware we're looking at them.
Unbothered.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
And that's the point. They're living in a world free from the pressures that exist in the real one.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
"I like drawing girls doing their everyday routine—just hanging out, not worried about what others are thinking," Nixon told Upworthy. "They're usually alone or with other girls. Their guard is down."
Editor's note: An image below contains partial nudity.
Capturing her subjects in this liberated light wasn't intentional at first, she explained.
Mundane moments.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
But when she started a 365-day challenge in April in 2015 to create one art piece a day, the work started reflecting the nuances of her own life away from prying eyes— "I was kind of like, 'Oh, I'm brushing my teeth, so I'll draw that."— and a theme began to form. Her illustrations show how women look, away from the exhausting world where they're often judged more harshly than men.
Enjoying a drink.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
You also might notice none of the girls in her illustrations are smiling.
Because women aren't constantly smiling when they're on their own.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
According to Nixon, that's a deliberate choice.
"I don't sit around smiling to myself," Nixon said, noting the double standard that exists in thinking women should always appear cheerful. "I've been told, 'You need to smile more.' It's so infuriating. I wanted to show the way girls actually look, comfortably."
These works aim to capture slices of every day life, not posed moments.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
The theme of friendship is also an important one in Nixon's drawings.
In community.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
“I have four older sisters, so female friendship has always been a big part of my life," Nixon told The Huffington Post in 2016. “You gotta have someone to talk about periods with, and dudes just don't get it."
Sometimes reality is a nap on the couch with your pup.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
Creating relatable scenes was key to Nixon, too — from the details of women's lives to the physical shapes of their bodies.
Hidden moments and natural bodies.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
“It's important that the women I draw aren't rail thin with huge boobs," Nixon said. “I think there are enough images of bodies like that out in the world. The ladies I draw typically have small-ish, droopy breasts and thick thighs. They're kind of lumpy but in an attractive way. Just like real people."
The women in Nixon's work aren't real, but she hopes their stories are.
Let women eat cake.
Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.
"One of my absolute favorite comments [on my work] is, 'Oh my God, it's me!'" she explained of the depictions. "There's a little bit of beauty in [everyday life] and I wanted to bring that out."
You can view more of Nixon's artwork on her website and check out her prints for purchase on Etsy.
This article originally appeared nine years ago.
