James Dodds was born in
Brightlingsea and trained as a shipwright in Maldon before embarking on
his art education at Colchester, Chelsea and the R.C.A.
His East Anglian
maritime heritage pervades all of his work, be it in the intriguing curved
perspectives of his linocuts of coastal towns or in the rounded figures in
his paintings of "things that interest me ~ how things work, people,
boats, whatever...."
He works "with a constant feeling for the
continuity of the past with the present ~ striving for a balance between
head, heart and hand".
Since starting the Jardine Press in the eighties, he has produced, and
illustrated with linocuts, about 20 books, mainly on a marine theme.
He
has exhibited in the USA and the USSR, all
over East Anglia, frequently at the Royal Academy and is currently
preparing for a one man show with Messum's Fine Art, Cork St, London
in 2004.
His exhibition: "Shipshape" is currently touring the
country, including all the National Maritime Museum
