DODDS, Andrew Wilson

1927 - 2004

Andrew Wilson Dodds was born at Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland on 4 May 1927, youngest son of the eight children of Archibald Dodds (18 June 1888-October 1937), a dairyman, and his wife Margaret (2 September 1886-8 March 1972). When Andrew was 18 months old, his father took a farm in Essex and on his death in 1937, aged 49, his mother took over the running of their farm and in 1939 she was a widow living at Brick House Farm, Weeley, Essex with some of her children Archibald (4 November 1914-), Margaret (29 March 1919-), Alexander (17 October 1922-) and Andrew. Andrew studied at Colchester School of Art 1942-1945 and then completed his National Service in the Navy, suffering severe seasickness, ending up on a shore base in Malta. He then studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London 1947-1950, where he was taught by Roderic Barrett, who became a lifelong friend, and the taciturn William Patrick Roberts (1895-1980). In 1951, the 'Radio Times' needed an artist to draw characters for their new serial 'The Archers', and they made a shrewd choice, as in Andrew Dodds as he had been brought up on a farm and had illustrated for 'Farmers Weekly'. Dodds created faces that would become inseparable from Dan and Doris Archer and their family. In 1957, the London editor of the 'Eastern Daily Press' asked Dodds to produce three drawings a week for his daily column and Dodds did this job for some 27 years, making over 4,500 drawings, 530 of which appeared in his 1994 book 'London Then'. A part-time lecturer at St Martin's School of Art 1952-1975 followed by as principal lecturer in the art and design department at Ipswich School of Art at Suffolk College, Ipswich 1975-1989. Elected a member of the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers in 1951 and a Fellow of the Society in 1983. He married at Colchester in 1954, Rachel Wendy Foster (1934-14 September 2021) and had two sons, including artist James Dodds with whom he collaborated on books, and two daughters, the marriage was dissolved in 1972. A watercolourist and illustrator, illustrating over twenty-five books including 'East Anglian Drawn' (1987) and 'East Anglian Sketchbook' (1999). He exhibited at the Royal Academy, Minories, Colchester, Digby Gallery, Colchester 1991 and at Chappel Galleries in Essex 1999. Andrew Wilson Dodds lived at The Round House, Lower Raydon, near Ipswich, Suffolk where he died on 27 December 2004.
Website: http://www.andrewdodds.com

Royal Academy Exhibits
from Twentymans, Upper Park Road, Brightlingsea, Essex
1957 1117 Rachel - crayon
1963 999 Young Nat: From the Essex Ballads - pen
1966 902 A Study of Jo Grimond - pen
from Capel House, 31 Creffield Road, Colchester, Essex
1970 841 The Creek at Brightlingsea - lithograph

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Works by This Artist