Ali Cavanaugh (American 1973) is a painter known for her luminous, hyper-realistic watercolor portraits. Born in Michigan, she developed a distinctive technique that layers translucent washes of color to create a soft, ethereal surface quality that blurs the boundary between painting and photography. Cavanaugh’s approach elevates watercolor beyond traditional expectations, using it as a medium for highly controlled realism. She has gained international recognition for her refined technical skill and her ability to capture subtle emotional states through light, skin, and atmosphere.