Biography

Born Brightlingsea, Essex, in 1957, the son of the artist and graphic designer Andrew Wilson Dodds (q.v.), who was one of the earliest members of CAS, founded in 1946.

James started work as an apprentice shipwright at Walter Cook and Son, Maldon, 1972-1976. Then on to Colchester School of Art 1976-1977 for a foundation course. Chelsea School of Art, 1977-1980 and then the Royal College of Art, 1981-1984.

With a strong attachment to the East Anglian coast and its maritime history, he rapidly developed his own understanding and visual rendering of the subject, mastering the disciplines of painting, lino printing, woodcut  printing and illustration. He founded the Jardine Press at Stoke-by Nayland, Suffolk, in 1984, specialising in hand-printed books and print editions.

James married the potter/painter Catherine Clark in 1997, who designed the books for the Jardine Press.

James has written about the artistic and social history of Wivenhoe and has also designed two stained glass windows.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex in 2007, for his “distinguished contribution to the local community as an artist and defender of the natural heritage”.

Awarded the John Nash medal by Colchester Art Society in 2016, for his outstanding contribution to the arts in Colchester and the local area.

‘The Blue Boat’, won the Universty of Suffolk’s Creative Suffolk Author award, 2022.

Working with the poet Martin Newell (1) has resulted in a number of joint publications: Wild Man of Wivenhoe, 1997: The Black Schuck, 1999: Late Autumn Sunlight: East Anglian Verses, 2001.

James has exhibited widely in Britain and abroad, including the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and notably with Messums of London, with thirteen one-man shows in England and three in America. Also, with Hayletts, Maldon; Printworks, Colchester, and North House Gallery Manningtree.

His retrospective exhibition ‘Shipshape’, 2001, was hosted by Firstsite at the Minories, Colchester, and subsequently went on tour to Whitstable, Herne Bay; Frome; Isle of Wight; Barnard Castle; National Maritime Museum, Cornwall; Maritime Museum Greenwich; Great Yarmouth and Hartlepool.

‘Wood to Water’, was shown at the new Firstsite Gallery, Colchester, in 2015-2016, which then travelled to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, 2019-2021.

Work purchased by the Britten-Pears Library, Aldeburgh; Victoria and Albert Museum; Chelmsford and Colchester Museums; Colchester Borough Council; Horniman Museum, London. Work held in the University Campus Suffolk East Contemporary Art Collection; Sainsbury Centre, Norwich, and the Madison Museum of Fine Art, Madison, Georgia U.S.A. and many private collections.

Statement

Norfolk Beach Boat

“The kind of boat used for crab fishing from Cromer and Sheringham on the North Norfolk coast. A sister painting was hung in Salthouse church as an altarpiece.”

The image was used for the cover of ‘James Dodds Tide Line’, a biography of the artist by Ian Collins, published in 2011.

J.J. Prior. Sand Barges, Fingringhoe

“Prior’s sand barges took sand and gravel to Deptford for many generations. The view is from the sea wall from the Wivenhoe side of the river Colne. I made this print just before the crane and sand grading machines were removed.”

(1) Martin Newell (born 1953) is an English singer-songwriter, poet and author. Leads the guitar popband ‘Cleaners from Venus’ based in Colchester.