James Dodds

James Dodds (born 1957) is an East Anglian artist whose practice centers on painting, linocut and relief carving. Born in Brightlingsea, Essex, he now lives and works in Wivenhoe producing prints, paintings and books as the Jardine Press. He is arguably East Anglia's most famous contemporary artist after Dame Maggi Hambling.

James Dodds followed an apprenticeship as a shipwright in Maldon, Essex from 1972 to 1976. He studied at Colchester Institute from 1976 to 1977, the Chelsea School of Art from 1977 to 1980 and the Royal College of Art in London from 1981 to 1984.

James exhibits regularly at Bircham Contemporary Arts Gallery (Holt, Norfolk), Messum's Fine Art Gallery (London), Hayletts Gallery (Maldon, Essex), North House Gallery (Manningtree, Essex) and Dowling Walsh Gallery (Maine USA).

His paintings and hand-made prints are inspired by boats and boat building, especially those craft peculiar to East Anglia. He had a major retrospective show, "Shipshape", at Firstsite at The Minories, Colchester in November 2001. This show subsequently toured at Whitstable, Herne Bay, Kent, Frome, the Isle of Wight, Barnard Castle, National Maritime Museum Cornwall, National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, Great Yarmouth and Hartlepool. James'work returned to Firstsite with a new exhibition called "Wood to Water". You can see a timelapse film of James Dodds making a large painting for this show called Timepeace on his website.

On the 16 August 2016 James received the John Nash medal from Colchester Art Society for his contribution to the arts.

His 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. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UCS East Contemporary Art Collection;Ipswich, MMoFA, Madison, Georgia, USA; Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art; The Sainsbury Centre, Norwich and many private collectors. He is better known for his dramatic linocuts of coastal towns, nautical myths and legends, as well as his large unique and beautiful paintings of various boats.

In July 2007 James accepted the offer of an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex in recognition of his "distinguished contribution to the local community as an artist and defender of our community and natural heritage." His strong style evokes the spirit of rural and maritime East Anglia with scenes of daily life and folklore. He has also conceived, illustrated and hand-produced a series of handmade artists books.

A short film, "Shaped by the Sea", about James Dodds, by Emily Harris for Classic Yacht TV was released in May 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDoPZf_Iooc

• 1999 Awarded GMC Trust Best in Show ‘Aldeburgh Beach’
• 2007 Honorary doctorate from University of Essex.
• 2012 Ian Collins biography of James Dodds "Tide Lines" wins EDP Jarrolds East Anglian Art & Photography Book Award
• 2016 John Nash medal from Colchester Art Society

• "James Dodds Biography". Bircham Gallery. 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-11. 

Selected solo exhibitions

• 1984/1995/1998/2000, Aldeburgh Festival
• 1985, "Ship of Fools", Hatton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
• 1986, "Fish, Flesh or Fowl", Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich
• 1989/1990/1995/1997, Printworks, Colchester
• 1989/1992/1995, Bircham Contemporary Arts, Norfolk
• 1990/1994/1995, Chappel Galleries, Essex
• 1992, Sue Rankin Gallery, London Two man show with John Bratby RA
• 2001, North House Gallery, Manningtree with John Reay "Blue Boat". Essex University Gallery
• 2004/ 2006/ 2007/ 2009/ 2011/ 2013 /2015/ 2016 Messum's. Cork Street. London
• 2010/ 2012 Dowling Walsh Gallery, Rockland, Maine. USA

Selected group exhibitions

• 1991/1998/1999/2000, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
• 1993, Wetzlar, Germany
• 1994, John Callahan Gallery, Boston, United States
• 1995, "4 from Wivenhoe". Courcoux & Courcoux, Hampshire "Ultra Marine", Liverpool "Forth, Tyne, Dogger", Brewery Arts, Cirencester
• 1996, Peter Scott Gallery, Lancaster University "The Sea", Black Swan Arts, Frome
• 1997, City Arts Gallery. Leeds Union of Artists, St. Petersburg, Russia Mall Gallery, London
• 1999, Eastern Open. King's Lynn Arts Centre, Norfolk Mystic Seaport. USA: New York Ship Terminal, United States
• 2000, The Hunting Art Prizes. London
• 2000, "Alphabet Soup". Printworks, Sudbury, Suffolk
• 2001/2003,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011, Messum's Cork Street. London
• 2013, "Masterpieces,Art and East Anglia" Sainsbury Centre, Norwich.

• "JAMES DODDS "LIFEBOAT"". Chappel Galleries. 2005. Retrieved 2014-08-11. 
• "JAMES DODDS "LIFEBOAT"". Chappel Galleries. 2005. Retrieved 2014-08-11. 

"Looking at the paintings of James Dodds for the first time one is struck by the literalness of the work, the sheer specificity of plank on frame built outward by the practiced hand of a man whose obsession with the form and structure of boats had taken him out of school at fifteen and into a shipyard apprenticeship. Slowly, however, the force of his artistry begins to gather beyond this initial impression. In a striking and mysterious piece of visual alchemy, what once seemed specific now glides toward the abstract. Parts, once distinct, become a whole. A lyric buoyancy emerges. Our consciousness fuses with our unconscious. The eye and the mind's eye become one."

-Mayher, Bill. "An Eye for Boats, A Sense of Place: The Art of James Dodds." Wooden Boat Publication 2008.