My name is Anne Pollard James, and I paint the spectacular strength of women.

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What is The Delight Project?

It’s an act of radical reclamation by taking back the truths of our bodies along with the stories that live in them.
 

We live in a culture that asks women to cover, shrink, and disguise. On our screens, skin is scrubbed free of pores, scars, and texture, as if the real, lived-in body is something to correct. But the body is both mysterious and deeply pragmatic.

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The very things that make us capable; fascia, strength, curves, are the things most often 'corrected'. Our legs, powerful and dimpled with cellulite, carry us forward. Our faces soften with gravity, then lift into smiles that light the air around us. Our bellies rise and fall, streaked with pale blue and peach marks that keep record of growth and endurance.

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This series honors all of it. And it honors all of us.

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How it works:
Each collaboration begins with an interview. We’ll sit together in a recorded interview, as you share what it means for you to fully be embodied. The power of this project is in the witnessing. Witnessing your truth without judgment.

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From there, we’ll create a photograph together. One that captures a moment of unguarded delight. From that image, I’ll paint your portrait and the story you’ve entrusted to me.

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Why now
At a time when women’s autonomy, presence, and self-definition are under continued threat, bearing witness to each other becomes urgent. These paintings are more than images; they are a living witness and the read threads in a larger tapestry that centers women’s voices, women’s bodies, women’s delight.

 

The invitation
Will you join me?