Art reviewer Steve Starger, in The Journal Inquirer, observed, "Dougan's art appears straight forward at first, a collection of what seems to be standard studies of landscapes, still-lifes, and portraits. But evocative tides wash beneath Dougan's bright, precise paintings. Recurring motif set up resonances among the paintings and imply deeper narratives beyond the sometimes sunny, sometimes moody scenes Dougan has forged...loose, sweeping brushwork creates not only a definite place, but a place hovering on the edge of abstraction and memory."

After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a Fine Arts degree in painting, Dougan began her studio work as a ceramic artist, creating hand-formed, hand-painted tile works. After a few years she returned to canvas painting.

"The attraction of the physical nature of that medium has never left me; it follows me into a painting, as if I were gardening in early spring."