Larry Dodson is a wildlife and landscape artist known all over the United States and in many parts of the world. His original oil paintings and fine art prints have sold to art collectors and individuals worldwide.Today, in perfect health and painting better than ever, Larry Dodson is not trying to reinvent himself. He is working relentless hours re-establishing himself as one of the mid South’s most skilled and popular artists.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the artist’s name was right up there in the public eye with world famous artist, Ben Hampton (now deceased) on the local and national art scene.
With Ben Hampton leading the way, the two close friends and co-workers at Vandsco Advertisers in Chattanooga had become household names locally via marketing limited edition prints of their original watercolor paintings.Larry Dodson’s first limited-edition prints were of a painting he titled “Springtime in Ellijay” (1975). The public’s response was overwhelming. He sold every one of the 1,000 signed and numbered prints and 100 artist proofs in only a few months. That was followed by “Curing Barn,” “Mountain View Road” and “Misty Summer,” all printed in 1976, and all sold out.
The overwhelming success of the venture prompted the artist to do limited-edition prints of four more paintings during 1977. Again, all prints sold out.
Over the years that followed, Larry Dodson, a native of the Scratch Ankle community on Sand Mountain, produced 70 original paintings and limited-edition prints of each of them. Fourteen limited editions sold out, and many others came close to being sold out. “Southern Autumn” became an official 1989 Alabama Reunion print.
By this time, the artist’s prints were being marketed at 510 art dealers in 47 states.
Larry Dodson spent much of the ‘90s building and overseeing a golf course in Dade County. And in the process, he let his name and art fade in the public eye.
By the late ‘90s, however, the artist saw the err of his ways and began investing all of his time painting – this time in the same medium of the masters – oils.
Larry Dodson, who “never took an art lesson,” said he worked in oils until 1972, when he switched to the less-forgiving but then popular watercolor medium. Thus, switching back was no problem when he decided to make the change in 1998.
“Today, people want colors,” the 57-year-old artist observed, explaining that oils are more brilliant, offer greater variety of colors, are easier to work with and are more durable.
Since the switch, Larry Dodson has produced several oil paintings, including an uncharacteristic (for him) cottage in England that is receiving much accolades from the public.
Painting and selling original oils is his focus now, he stressed, noting that numerous investors have purchased them at prices ranging from $3,500 to $9,500.
And, as with many of his fine art prints, their value has steadily increased.
Although now focusing on oil paintings, Larry Dodson has hundreds of limited-edition prints of previous watercolor paintings at his private air-conditioned storage facility in Dade County, Georgia.
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