Erika Leigh Dodge holds BFA in Studio Art (emphasis Drawing and Painting) from the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with additional work at Brown College, Minneapolis College of Art and Design and University of Minnesota- Duluth. In 2006, she completed her MFA in Graphic and Interactive Design, with a focus on the creative process across creative disciplines. In addition, she has participated in numerous workshops with nationally known artists, including David Feinberg, Shana Kaplow and Judith Bergerson. She has taught various art and design classes at the University of Minnesota, department of Design, Housing and Apparel (College of Design); and the Art Institutes International Minnesota. She works primarily in painting (acrylics), Graphic Design/Art Direction, collage, and mixed-media.
“I have had a long standing interest in negative space, textures, layers, and contrasts. It's the interaction among the forms in my pieces that I find most exciting. I will often start with something as simple as a piece of printed paper (a receipt, some interesting packaging or collage-ready material) and build an environment around that. I do not have an end in mind as I begin- the art will create itself as I work, and read as real in the end. Most pieces are primarily abstract, to reflect inner feeling, angst, and emotion. As for one who views my work, I would hope to involve active imagination and open interpretation in the contemplation of the space, layers and textures.”
