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In this memoir by Kelly O'Dell Stanley, where the brushstrokes of her father, Rob O'Dell, echo long after his passing in 2017. As Kelly moves into his restored turn-of-the-century building in a small Indiana town, she finds herself wandering the same roads he once traversed, enveloped by the vibrant landscapes he painted and the emotional landscapes of her own heart.
In her quest to understand her father's legacy, Kelly dives deep into his art-discovering that its true beauty lies not just in technique, but in the profound connections it fosters. Rob found magic in the broken and the overlooked, reminding us all of the power of being seen and celebrated.
Through vignettes of Rob's life, interwoven with heartfelt stories from those he touched, Kelly embarks on a journey of grief and self-discovery, navigating the delicate dance between loss and reinvention.
This memoir is a love letter to creativity and an exploration of what it means to redefine oneself in the wake of change. Framed by the legacy of a remarkable artist, The Artist, Ladoga, Indiana invites readers to embrace their own extraordinary, ordinary lives, reminding us that art can be a bridge connecting hearts across time and space.
Kelly O'Dell Stanley paints her words with a vibrant palette of grief, identity, unwavering love, and the power art has to mix it all together to find one's true colors. Written with resiliency and vulnerability, The Artist is a story for all of the dreamers who seek the courage to answer one of life's most formidable questions: "What if?" -J.R. Jamison, award-winning author of Hillbilly Queer: A Memoir
In moments like little paintings, Kelly O'Dell Stanley's The Artist, Ladoga, Indiana brings her father Rob O'Dell alive, capturing not only what made him the gifted painter he was but his influence on her own journey as an artist.-Barbara Shoup, An American Tune
In 2024, collectors continue to inquire if we have any art by Rob O'Dell. They ask by name, and they ask by style. "Do you have any work by the man who created the scenes with the white snow and white sky?" Rob was the master of negative space and the king of small details. Rob's work was and is timeless, identifiable, and completely unique. When is a rural scene not just another rural scene? When it's an O'Dell!-Juli Petter, J Petter Galleries
An authentic portrait of family, grief, and self-searching. This touching memoir will inspire you to take a scenic drive in the country, hug your loved ones, and perhaps even pick up a paintbrush.-Sherry Stanfa-Stanley, Author of Finding My Badass Self: A Year of Truths and Dares
The Artist, Ladoga, Indiana is a true story of two artists, father and daughter, and their different paths to the same address, where a studio continues to connect them after the father's death. It tells how a daughter dealt with grief: what she lost, what she kept, and what she became while rebuilding a life.-Lisa Wheeler, writer
Rob was a friend and mentor to many. In his easy manner he was always willing to share his unique skills with like-minded people. Personally, he was my role model and inspiration when I was a fledgling artist considering painting as a more serious endeavor.-Jerry Smith, Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society
