50 Years of Family And Art At Chatham’s Odell Studios

CHATHAM – Odell Studios, located on Main Street, features the work of a married couple with a passion for the arts. 

The gallery is an exploration into divergent mediums and styles, featuring paintings, prints, metal sculptures and jewelry. Tom and Carol Odell each in love with art, and then with each other. 

 “It was serendipity,” said Tom Odell. “I came to the Cape and was originally living in Truro and working for a man, helping him do carpentry work and woodworking.”

 At a craft fair in Brewster, he was introduced to jewelry-making, and he quickly developed a passion for it. 

 “It was just very exciting,” he said. “I’d never seen things quite like that.”

An apprenticeship in metalworking soon followed. Meanwhile, Carol Odell had discovered her passion for painting as a teenager and studied it extensively in art school. Their paths finally crossed at the Chatham Festival of the Arts.

 “I brought our jewelry down to display and Carol had the booth right next to me,” Tom said. “So, for three days we sat next to each other, and six months later, we were married.”

That was in 1973. A few years later, they bought their gallery in Chatham, which also functions as their home and included much-needed studio space. 

 “We have separate studios,” said Carol. “And they’re definitely suited to our personalities.” 

Carol’s artwork is abstract and contemporary, with references to the natural world. The interpretation of what is pictured is left to the viewer. 

 “I’m not copying nature. I’m feeling nature,” said Carol. 

Rather than ask what her paintings depict, Carol encourages viewers to ask themselves how it makes them feel. 

 “I’ve always loved that kind of work because I think it’s very long-lasting,” said Carol. “It takes a while to discover everything that’s in it. Painting is an adventure for me.”

 Some paintings might come together in a day, others may take months to finish. Some of her paintings are all consuming, especially the encaustic ones, which involves beeswax and resin. When she undertakes such a project, it can be hard to work on anything else.

 Carol’s painting takes place just one room away from Tom’s metalworking. His pieces include bronze, copper, stainless steel, gold, amber and more. He often models his creations in cardboard first, using a cardboard cutout of himself to scale the larger pieces. His creations may be as small as rings and cufflinks, but he’s designed far larger pieces as well, including a 13.5-foot sculpture that acts as the centerpiece of the South Orleans roundabout. 

 For a couple who’s been based out of Chatham for 51 years, they’re still creating and exploring new ideas. For the past two summers, they’ve invited guest artists to showcase their work at their gallery. In between maintaining their gallery through the summer tourist season and hosting family, they’re quite busy, but their work continues to fascinate.