Odis Schmidt was born in Detroit. From a young age was always working with his hands making things. He was not from a family of artists but his mother loved art and would take him to The Detroit Institute of Art and Cranbrook Academy gallery. At the DIA the mural in the foyer by Diego Rivera had a profound affect on Odis at 10 years of age. Post HS education as follows:
AA degree at Ferris State University
BFA " at Eastern Michigan University
Grad School at Eastern Michigan University
In 1973 Odis moved to Northern Ca. and pursued a career as a woodworker designer in the Bay Area. He did cabinet making, stairway building, furniture making and recording studio work. During this time, he also spent time drawing and making sculpture. Odis moved with his family to Mendocino county in 1988 and continued doing work for a Bay are clientele as well as people in Mendocino county. Although Odis still does some commission work he spends most of his time doing art, sculpture and intricate wood pieces. His work has shown at the Oddfellows Hall in Mendocino and with the Mendocino Woodworkers Assoc. He was selected for 2 nationally juried shows at MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art in Marin County in 2018 and 2020. He was also in a juried show at the DeYoung Museum for artists from 9 Bay area counties in 2020. In 2022 he showed a wall hanging at the Hasting Law School in SF for 6 months. His influences are from nature, music and various writers. For him the work comes from an idea that can readily change with a turn of the material he is working with, no endgame necessarily and no mistakes, only possibilities.