Painter, b. 1927 -

Lois Dodd is an American painter who utilizes en plein air techniques to capture her immediate surroundings. Her works, which she often completes in one sitting, range from landscapes and natural scenes to familiar household features. Dodd was a co-founding member of the Tanger Gallery cooperative and an art instructor at institutions in the Northeastern United States. She creates her works in New York, New Jersey, and Maine.

About Lois Dodd

• Artist: Lois Dodd


• Alias: Lois Dodd


• Profession: Painter


• Nationality: American

"I’m always aware that I’m trying to get the outline of any shadows or anything like that right away before it shifts because I was attracted to the way it looked at the moment I arrived, not the way it will look by the time I leave… If things are moving too much, and shadows are shifting, I have to outline all that quickly in order to maintain the way it looked to me when I was first attracted to it." - Lois Dodd

Lois Dodd is an American landscape painter who gleans inspiration for her artwork from her surroundings. Whether working in New York, New Jersey, or Maine, she often paints her pieces en plein air. Among Dodd’s notable works is her 1975 painting Handle on Tree, in which the artist depicts a brassy handle attached to a tree trunk in a muted woodland.

Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Dodd studied art and textile design at Cooper Union in the late 1940s. Shortly after graduating, she became one of five founding members of the Tanager Gallery, known as one of the first New York artist-run cooperative galleries.

Dodd has taught at institutions including Brooklyn College and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the National Academy of Design.

Alongside artists such as Alex Katz and Yvonne Jacquette, Dodd is known for spotlighting the Maine coast in her work. She is best known for her landscape paintings, which she creates in one sitting en plein air. Some art historians describe her artistic path in contrast to the Pop Art and Abstract art movements that were popular as she came into the public eye. Many critics also say that her work shows an interest in nature and the geometry and life that define it. Dodd often returns to the same subject many times over the course of the year — or over several years or decades — and paints new works based on the changes she sees. Her portfolio includes close-ups of plants and flowers, evening skies, and household features such as windows and radiators.

Related Styles and Movements

• Landscape Painting


• Plein Air Painting

Highlights and Achievements

• Since 1954, Dodd’s work has been the focus of more than 50 solo exhibitions.


• In 2023, the artist held her largest solo show to date — at the age of 95 — at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut.


• Her 1978 painting Large Morning Woods sold for $80,000 in November 2022 via the auction house Doyle New York.

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