DODDS, James Foster

1957 - ?

James Foster Dodds was born at Brightlingsea, Essex on 3 May 1957, son of Andrew Wilson Dodds and his wife Rachel Wendy Foster (1934-14 September 2021), who married at Colchester in 1954. James was an apprentice shipwright at Walter Cook and Son, at Maldon, Essex 1972-1976, before taking a foundation course at Colchester School of Art 1976-1977 and then studied painting at Chelsea School of Art until 1980 and the Royal College of Art, London 1981-1984, and found that his work drew increasingly on his East Anglian maritime background. He married in 1997, Catherine S. Clark, and they have a son and a daughter. His work has encompassed painting, printmaking and publishing his own hand-printed books of prints, which display technical command of the use of the woodcut and in 1984 he founded the Jardine Press at Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk. A figurative painter, wood, and linocut printmaker and in 2007 awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex in recognition of his ‘distinguished contribution to the local community as an artist and defender of the community and natural heritage.’ In November 2001 he had a major retrospective exhibition, 'Shipshape' at the Minories, Colchester and this show subsequently toured at Whitstable, Herne Bay, Frome, Isle of Wight, Barnard Castle, National Maritime Museum of Cornwall, National Maritime Museum at Greenwich also at Great Yarmouth and Hartlepool. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and regularly exhibits at Bircham Gallery at Holt, Norfolk, Messum Fine Art in London, Hayletts Gallery at Maldon, Essex, North House Gallery at Manningtree, Essex and Mystic Seaport, Connecticutt, USA. Dodds has also established a long collaboration with poet Martin Newell (born 1953) and the pair have produced a series of books together, celebrating their visions of life in East Anglia. James's work has been purchased by Britten-Pears Library, Aldeburgh; Victoria and Albert Museum; Clacton & Rochford Hospitals; Chelmsford and Essex Museums; Ipswich Borough Council, Museums and Galleries; Colchester Borough Council; Horniman Museum, London, and many private collectors. He lived at Barnacle House, Wivenhoe, Colchester, Essex. (Ian Collins biography of James Dodds ‘Tidelines’).
Website: https://jamesdodds.co.uk

Royal Academy Exhibits
from Barnacle House, 20 St John’s Road, Wivenhoe, Essex
1998 194 Aldeburgh Beach – linocut
1999 187 Cromer Beach – linocut

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Works by This Artist