Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcie Dodd.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
From the time I could hold a pencil, I have had a love affair with art. For me, art has met many needs – a tool for expression, a lifeline in hard times, a way to connect to the world around me. Beginning with art competitions in elementary school, to majoring in Fine Art in college, then becoming a high school art teacher, finally I decided to dedicate myself to my own artwork about ten years ago. My work is a reflection of how I deal with the complexities of life. When my brush hits the board, my overactive brain softens into peace, where I am able to layout and examine those hard moments and organize them into something a bit more beautiful. Being a mom, a teacher, an artist, a breast cancer survivor, and so many other things keep me constantly on my toes. Art is my way of sorting through it all in a healthy way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” There are always struggles, it’s how we deal with them that shows our grit.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I prefer to work in a mixed media style. The layers required to create a cohesive mixed media piece are symbolic of the many layers of seemingly simple moments. Things are rarely how they appear at first glance, whether in the real world or in my paintings. The more time you spend truly looking, the more you find to be intrigued by and to love. The details captured within a mixed media piece each tell a part of the story – they help guide your eye to what is the most important aspect of the painting and shield little secrets that the avid viewer will be able to pick out and glean more information about the subject matter. To me, it feels a little like a puzzle that I get to eagerly put together and wait for people to view and to solve on their own.
I use a variety of techniques to create each piece, some are experimental and others calculated and precise. Being a mixed media artist makes me an avid collector of interesting textures, trinkets, and trash that I can incorporate in a variety of ways. My artwork is a lesson on conservation, often using materials that other artists would discard. I would much rather find a beautiful way to use something than throw it in the garbage.
Contact Info:
- Email: mixedmarcie@gmail.com
- Website: www.MixedMarcie.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/MixedMarcie
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/MixedMarcie
