Hi, I'm Odette.
As you may have noticed, I make a wide range of different kinds of art. People often ask me how it all fits together, so I thought I'd share a little bit about my background and my process.
I started making art when I was 3 years old. I was this wild child and art was the one thing my mother found that stopped me from destroying everything in sight. The urge to create is in all of us, but for some of us it's a little more demanding. If we're not creating, we are not ok. I am definitely one of those people, so my creativity comes out EVERYWHERE. Some of those expressions shouldn't be monetized- I only ever want to cook for my family. But several of my creative outlets can also make me a living, and that's pretty rad.
I started painting very early on (think "decorating" my mother's walls) and began to pursue it seriously as a teenager. I studied painting in college and majored in painting and print making. Exploring the possibilities of paint and imagery will always be my first love. Color is an emotional language, and paint is such a fun way to explore that.
I began doing ceramics in my early teens (apparently painting, knitting, sewing, and glassblowing wasn't enough). Ceramics is satisfying in a deeply visceral, quiet way. It hits a completely different spot than painting and offers a focused simplicity and elegance I don't find anywhere else. I studied ceramics though my teens and then in college before beginning independent work. These days I work at a studio close to my home, where I create elegant porcelain pieces with raunchy words on them. They're funny, irreverent, and so very beautiful.
I came to mural work much later in my life, only beginning in 2017. I was in a desperate swoon over Shepard Fairey's political murals and began to hunt down all the mural work and public art I could. In the midst of my tizzy my boss at the time offered me the opportunity to paint a full scale mural. Murals were it after that. I had always like working on large canvases, but a wall- that's a whole other thrill that I cannot resist.
Yes, Odette- that's all very nice, but how does it all fit together you ask?
Fair question. It all fits together in a few ways. First, I am always creating something, and choosing to focus my efforts on a few clear disciplines helps me make a living instead of a mess. In addition, mural work in Seattle is highly seasonal, and I have about half of the year where I have extra time on my hands. Following the flow of the season, allowing my energy to center and hunker down for the winter fits right in with the vibe of ceramic work and deep, introspective paintings. Then when the energy of the year rises, spring blooms and we all want to run joyously out into the sun, I have bright energy for making murals, showing art, and participating in fairs.
Come see me sometime- I'll either be covered in clay in the ceramics studio, covered in paint up a ladder, or smiling at you from an art fair. Come say hi!