Laurel Dodge is a Seattle native and third generation artist who works mostly with linoleum block printing. I have featured her several times at a club I curate art for and I finally got to sit down and have a chat with her.
Mandy: What is your style of art?
Laurel: I paint mostly narrative works that are influenced by myth, folklore and fairy tales. Figurative with influences of both classical and illustrative styles.
Mandy: Who influences your art?
Laurel: I would say in subject, it is books mostly. In style I really try and do my own thing. I have a lot of art its who I love like Egon Schiele, Frances Bacon, Siolo Thompson, Crystal Barbare, Redd Walitzki, Artemisia Gentileschi. I spent a lot of time really finding my own voice for my work. My mother, Jessica Dodge, who is a professional painter, was a deep influence.
Mandy: What are your favorite tools/mediums/brands to use?
Laurel: Lino-block printing for sure if my favorite right now, I have been working in ti almost exclusively for the past 5 years. I like the almost sculptural aspect of it as you carve the block, working in revers, hand pressing the block to paper. I do everything really lo-fi. All my blocks are held with my hands, I have cut myself so many times. I use to go to Utrecht, but they got bought out by Blick, so I go there now. I have also worked in ink and oils.
Mandy: Have you always been an artist? Did you go to school for art, take independent classes or are self taught?
Laurel: I have done art since I was a small child. My mother is an artist and I grew up in an artist co-op. I have taken a class here and there but never went to school for it. Mostly self taught. Never took a class in block printing, that is totally self taught.
I did art because I had to. It was one of the many ways i learned to express myself to the world.
Mandy: What was it like growing up in an artist co-op
Laurel: Amazing and weird. It was so different then any of my other fiends. I lived in a shack behind a fence of a bus depot on the base of Queen Anne hill. There were no children around to play with except for one kid who was there part time. So it was a bit lonely. There were so many amazing things to look t and I went to so many art openings as a child with my mother when she was showing her work, or when she wanted to take me to see other artist in the city. I met a lot of amazing people and performers growing up.
Mandy: When you are first trying to come up with an idea do you sketch it out or do you go straight into the work?
Laurel: Really depends. I use to just go right to it. Because I am self taught, I thought that is what all artists did. I would get frustrated because it would not be perfect the first time and i would look at all these other people and get angry because their stuff was perfect. Then I found out that most artist do sketches first and under painting. Now I do as well. Its all a learning curve. try and fail and try again.
Mandy: Is there a skill you haven't tried that you want to try or something you want to improve on?
Laurel: I feel as an artist, you always have to be improving. That's what art is. Constant work and discovery of new aspects of your medium. I want to work more on my oil work. I love working with oils, the small alone sends me into deep childhood glee. But right now I am going to continue to hone my block printing craft and maybe try out new kind of printing and etching.
Mandy: Do you remember your first gallery show?
Laurel: Oh yeah. I had shown once at the Mercury, before you worked there, but the show I had in a Gallery that was just a gallery and not also a bar was a group show I had with my Mother and Grandfather before he passed. It was deeply moving on so many levels.
Mandy: What do you feel is important in contemporary art today?
Laurel: I think that the explosion of female artist and curators in Seattle is really amazing. I love that women are becoming more influential in the art community,rally, all over. We need to keep having conversations with each other through our craft, we need to keep pushing the envelope and pushing our voice as women out there in the art world. It has really been a boys club for too long and I like what I am seeing here in my home town. I think this year is going to be amazing for the female artiest in Seattle. Really, all over.
Mandy: What is your favorite piece(s) you have done?
Laurel: Every new body of work is my new favorite, but there was a piece my mother worked on with me, when I was really starting to get into oil painting. My grandmother bought it. I still love the one so much when ever I go to her house.
Mandy: Do you have Any hidden talents?
Laurel: A few, but if I told you I would have to kill you. You can't tell people about your hidden talents., then they are no longer hidden.
Mandy: Haha! True, true. What is the best advice have you be given?
Laurel: The first 500 don't count.
Mandy: What advice can you give to aspiring artists?
Laurel: The same as above and don't give up, keep working, find what is right for you. find your own voice. never stop creating.
Just never stop….
Mandy: If you had a super power want would it be
Laurel: Wow, that's……huh. As a huge nerd it is really hard for me to pick. I would rather be a Wizard then a super hero though.
Mandy: Why is that?
Laurel: Well, being a wizard i suppose is a super power of sorts.Like a wizard from AD&D. Spell books and that sort of thing. Shooting fireballs, magic disks, explosive ruins. Though I was told I was more a sorcerer then a wizard.
Check out more on Laurel on her Facebook or official website.
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