Rob O'dell Indiana (1938 - 2017) winter landscape watercolor on paper Signed lower right. Biography from the Archives of askART: "Watercolor artist Rob O'Dell earns Slodounik award, by Donnette Beckett, Herad & Review, newspaper, Decatur, Illinois, July 5, 2017 DECATUR ? For more than 40 years, Rob O'Dell has been creating images of quiet, rural life in his watercolor paintings. His work has earned him numerous awards, which now include the Herb Slodounik Artistic Merit Award. The annual award is given to local patrons, teachers or students of the arts in memory of Slodounik, an award-winning Herald & Review photographer who passed away July 23, 1998. Educated at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, O'Dell worked as a commercial artist following art school and showed his paintings on the weekends. He found more success after taking the leap to painting full time. Jamie Rutherford, executive director for Gallery 510, said he has become the standard by which other area watercolor artists are compared. ?He really is one of the main figures that comes to mind when thinking of Decatur-area artists,? she said. Artist Rob O'Dell has a way of capturing all of the details in something as simple as a watercolor of an old door and brick wall. O'Dell's paintings have been featured in galleries throughout Decatur, including the Madden Arts Center, Rock Springs Nature Center and Gallery 510. He also has been a special feature during the annual Arts in Central Park in September. His paintings remain popular because of the realistic images of nature and simplicity. In a 2011 interview with Herald & Review Staff Writer Jim Vorel, O'Dell explained the influence behind his work. "I like to paint weathered objects particularly," he said. "I?m fascinated by how things deteriorate, the patina that forms. It tells a story. I think a barn has all of the elements and shapes of a good painting in it, with the added bonus of the seasons. The same barn looks completely different in the winter than in the spring." Rutherford said O'Dell will not be able to travel to Decatur to receive his award due to health problems. A Decatur native, O'Dell has lived in a 200-year-old farmhouse in Ladoga, Indiana, for nearly 50 years. He began his career as a catalog designer for Sears, but decided to become a professional painter shortly after arriving in Indiana. He often visits Decatur during the openings of his exhibits. He was the featured artist for Gallery 510's May show. ?Distance has not made much of a difference to his reputation as an excellent artist and as a gracious down-to-earth Decatur native,? Rutherford said. ?Rob has no qualms about sharing his watercolor secrets, his humor or his friendship.? 29 1/2"H x 39 1/2"H(sight), 30 1/4"H x 40 1/4"W(frame)