Clif Dopson

At 75, I’m pleased to be at the Meadows and in the Universe, a first for both.

This exhibition is one of the manifestations of my Obsessive Curiosity Trait, possibly a disorder. This trait joins with hands that want to make stuff, creating an Art path that intertwines with other interest paths. The Art path has been continuous, but has had extensive branching, rabbit holes, dead ends, and sidebars.  It has included many art and industrial substrates, tools, and surface treatments. For the past 30 years, most of these elements and their tools have been channeled into building figure models, leading to the mass of them here. I first discovered figure models in elementary school.

I grew up safely in rural Northeast Louisiana, attending to acres of grass, flower beds, fruit and pine trees, and doing homework. I expanded my world via the public library, comic books, Mad magazine, the Science Fiction Book Club, Famous Monsters of Filmland, and Saturday double features. I drew every day, “improving” Little Golden Books, desks at school, and church bulletins. I built the usual model cars, planes, and ships, then the Aurora and Palmer figure models. In high school, I got ribbons for paintings, had a sculpture published in a book, and discovered Medical Art. I did well in school, but Art seemed to define me. Several years later, I had a BA and MA in Medical Illustration, and had won two national competitions. But curiosity led me to a 40+ year career as a psychiatrist, from which I retired in December of 2019.

During all that time, I never stopped buying art supplies, books, nor taking various art and “making stuff” lessons. I had an art studio at my office.  My most awarded model is Chrononaut (11) and is included in Fine Scale Modeler issue, “The 200 Best Models of 2019.”

My most prized is Wonderfest’s Best of Show, Most Amazing Model for Peach Blossom Island. So, what now? I think I’ll use the extra time to read and “make stuff.”

And, I have this new hobby, keeping doctor appointments.