About the Artist

Humble beginnings!

Danny Doughty is internationally recognized visionary artist from the eastern shore of Virginia who has been painting for over 35 years. He is considered a visionary artist and views his works as "A simpler time and place". He was born and raised in the small fishing village of Willis Wharf, an area that is still relatively isolated from the rest of the world. His paintings depict his memories growing up of simple folk taking pleasure in everyday tasks such as doing the laundry, fishing or raising children. The richness of color and style create a feeling of joy and happiness, a place sometimes better than the reality of the world in which we live.

Here's the story!

Danny Doughty is an internationally recognized visionary folk artist from the eastern shore of Virginia who has been painting for over 35 years. He was born and raised in a small fishing village called Willis Wharf, an area relatively isolated from the rest of the world that developed much slower than the rest. Everyone knew and trusted everyone else. Danny was unlike most children in the area, he wanted to paint not fish or farm. Through a series of tragic events in his early life, mainly abuse, Danny found that he could escape into a world that only he could create; a world that would keep him safe. His family owned a fish market. The women that Danny captures in his paintings used to come into the market after working hard in the fields and off the water. They used to pick him up as child and love him. These women that Danny paints are in some way Danny's angels. They helped to protect him, to nurture and love him and to teach him about spirituality and the simpler pleasures in life. The accepted him just as he was, no questions asked. The women took pride in the simplest of tasks such as doing the laundry, fishing or caring for every child. At the same time there was oppression for them which Danny connected to, he saw they had no voice of their own, just as he had no voice. He conveys this so eloquently by painting most women without faces. Danny's see his gift as a blessing and a curse, through the greatest of pain has come the greatest of pleasures. He honors these women by helping to tell their story, moment by moment. Danny expresses that with a richness of color and style which creates a feeling of joy and happiness, a place sometimes better than the reality of the world in which we live. Step into his painting and step back into a simpler place and time.