The relatable art captures the essence of real women, engrossed in routine tasks like eating toast, brushing their teeth, watching TV, etc.
In April 2015, Illustrator Sally Nixon challenged herself to create one illustration every day for a whole year. The 365-day drawing challenge pushed Nixon to get back to the basics and search for inspiration in her own life and the mundane moments of day-to-day life. The result was a series of refreshing relatable drawings capturing the essence of real women, engrossed in routine tasks like eating toast, brushing their teeth, watching TV, etc. Without the male gaze, a camera, or social media watching their every move, Nixon's muses found peace and solace in the humdrum of their own lives.
"This series was part of a 365-day drawing challenge that I started. Making a complete drawing every day means you have to come up with new subjects every day and that can be difficult sometimes. So I looked for inspiration everywhere I could. I'd be in the shower, brushing my teeth, and think 'Okay, this is what I'm drawing today.' I grew to really love illustrating otherwise mundane or routine moments. It's fun to take the ordinary and make it beautiful," the artist told journalist TL Andrews in 2016. "The scenes usually come from my own life and routine."
"Everyday objects and situations inspire me. For example, sometimes I'll challenge myself to take a mundane object, like a microwave or a couch, and make it beautiful. So I'll draw it in a certain context to tell a story," she explained. When asked why the series doesn't include any scenes with men in them, Nixon said: "It wasn't on purpose that I didn't include men. I just prefer to draw women because 1) I am a woman so I have plenty of reference material and 2) women are prettier than men. I'm not opposed to including men in future drawings, but this series was more focused on women's relationships with themselves and with other women."