Brie Dodson

A child runs toward us, from sacred ground; or simply away from it. Is he happy? We think so; he has a smile on his face that we cannot quite understand. It could be a grimace of anguish or fear; but it seems to be a grin – maybe even a laugh. What has happened there? We do not know. We cannot know. This child's experience is his alone.

The sacred ground in this painting is rich with color, mystery and a strange kind of light; a white dove flies in the distance. On the way are places that are dark and frightening. Entering or leaving, running toward or away, the child must pass through them.

Lately I am drawn to images of a child running toward – or away from – light, shadow, the unknown. This child has been to a place we cannot explain, touched by things we cannot understand, and now he is running: bursting, perhaps, with an emotion we do not yet know. He is never afterward the same.

Spatters of the colored light have stayed on him; they fall along his path. The light forms a blurred omega, open toward him, near his feet. I did not set out to paint it, but as I placed color where it seemed to need to go, the symbol emerged.

Seeking an answer forever changes both the answer and the seeker. This child has been forever changed. What he saw and felt, be it curse or blessing, will be upon him and remain with him always; and he will bear the marks.

Brie Dodson is a realist painter who seeks to convey a sense of the "unseen eternal" in her work. She lives in Virginia with her husband and sons, and is honored to serve as ECVA's Director of Communications.

Brie Dodson
email: bdodson@briedodson.com
website: http://briedodson.com