Acrylic Cods

Item Description

Title & Artist:  "Orange Dollie Magic" – by Susan Dodge

Medium & Size:  Acrylic on wood.  21 7/8" L x 8 5/8" H x 3/4" D.  For indoor display only.

Artist Statement:  My paintings represent connection. Who we are, where we live, and how we are connected to everything. Our roots keep us grounded to the earth. Our history reminds us of who we are in this circle of life. We rise from the dirt and then fall back to the ground, but it's really about the in-between, most importantly. Particularly, how we reach up to achieve our dreams and, at the same time, try to stay connected to who we are. There is a circle of life rising up and falling down. It starts deep within us and lives deep within the earth.

I feel I am an artist, always, in whatever I do. There are places in this world that hold my heart. When I visit these places, I remember who I am and that my true heart is in nature. The Line between the Land and Sea, along the coast, and what lies beneath are what inspire me, those places I've visited since I was a child. When I paint these images, it brings me to a sense of peace in myself.

Artist Biography:  Educated during the vibrant and dynamic height of the Boston Punk Music and Art scene of the 80s, Susan Dodge graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Born and raised in Marblehead, her family's history in the town goes back for generations. Going to art school and college in Boston in the 80s was an exciting learning experience in her young life and integral in the development of her present creative language. After graduation from Mass Art, Susan moved to Key Largo, and the beauty of the tropical Florida Keys holds a special place in her creative being.

Susan returned to Massachusetts in 1992 to be closer to family and raise her daughter, Nadine. She began her design career at a production pottery company with Julie Keyes Designs at the State Street Gallery in downtown Marblehead. Susan enjoyed being part of a vibrant young artist community and having her first artist studio. Later Susan created her own business called The Artful Dodger, a custom design company, creating murals, tiles, and pottery of her own signature line and sold in galleries across the United States and in the Virgin Islands from 1995 to 2002.

Today Susan pushes the limits of watercolor painting with unusual techniques in her recent fish series. She is represented by Keyes Art Consulting in New York and is currently working on a renovation project with an ongoing series of painting installations for The Breakers hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. Susan's other recent projects include a painting used for the 2016 Berkshire Opera Festival in western Massachusetts, and commissioned paintings for celebrity chef Thomas Keller as well as other private collectors.

In her free time, when Susan isn't outside painting the coast, she is enjoying time with her family, dancing to live music, teaching art to kids in the hills of Jamaica, and restoring her historic home in Salem, Massachusetts.

Hosting Business:  "Orange Dollie Magic" is on display at Marblehead Outfitters, 112 Washington St., Marblehead, MA.

Item Special Note

Pick-up of purchased cods will be on Tuesday evening, July 5. Winning bidder will receive a notification email with information on pick-up time and location.

If winning bidder requires shipping, winner's credit card will be charged a separate $24.95 fee to cover USPS ground and handling. Shipping is available within the U.S. only and must be requested within 7 days after receipt of the notification email.

Any cod purchased via "Buy Now" will remain on display at the hosting business through the end of the auction, and will be available for pick-up as detailed in the winning bidder notification email.

If winning bidder has not picked up cod (or provided shipping address) within 30 days after the close of the auction, cod will become the property of Marblehead Festival of Arts, Inc.

Click here to see the other decorated cods up for bid in our Cods of a Different Color online auction!

To learn more about the Marblehead Festival of Arts, visit www.marbleheadfestival.org.
To make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.marbleheadfestival.org/donations.