Olivia O’Connor

Carving

Olivia O'Connor, woodcarver and artist with sculpture art

THIS IS MY STORY

About

I specialise in handmade rocking horses and rocking horse restoration, I am living and working in South Gippsland, Victoria.

I grew up on a farm on Australia’s Mornington Peninsula. It was the perfect environment to develop a love for natural materials, such as wood and leather, and to appreciate the beauty of the countryside.

A love of working with timber led me to I study Furniture Design and Construction at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, for one year before being accepted into the competitive Prop Making course at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney. During this three-year specialised degree, I worked with wood, leather, foam-sculpting, model- and mould-making and puppet making.

WHAT I DO

My Work

Wood Carving

Sculpture

Prints / Engravings

Rocking Horses

KEEPING UP WITH O’CONNOR

News

I’ll be at the Heide Makers Market the 2nd Saturday of the month September – December!

www.heidemarket.com
I really love working on commissions because so often it pushes me to try something new and incorporate a range of techniques that I mightn’t have necessarily grouped together if I were in charge of all the design decisions. I also love chatting with people and clients about wood carving and hearing just how they connect with my work, as they welcome into their memories. Left to Right: reference image, finished carving, practice carving. I don’t always do a practice carving, but this was the first time I have wanted to get this many layers and depth into a relatively shallow relief carving. I used the practice to ‘map out’ in full scale the depth each layer would have to be, making sure I didn’t unnecessarily remove timber to create the illusion of depth. I also used it to practice the many different texture and patterning styles…very roughly! Commissioned as a beautiful and thoughtful anniversary gift for his wife ❤️❤️❤️#woodcarving #wedding #love ... See MoreSee Less
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1 week ago

Olivia O'Connor Carving
Surprised and chuffed to pieces to be awarded 1st place for the Neerim Artsfest Indoor Sculpture! I cannot thank all involved enough, it is a volunteer, community run art event (with fantastic and generous sponsors) and is done in the best way possible. I am so appreciative of their support and the way they champion arts in their regional . ❤️‘Little Frog. Big Climb’ a piece about climate catastrophe, resilience and hope. Thank you 🙏🏻 ❤️ ☀️🐸 ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

Olivia O'Connor Carving
My lovely husband Paul pictured here installing my seagulls as finalists in the Neerim Artsfest (as I’m still out of action). It’s a wonderful event (and only a short drive from Melbourne!) in the beautiful Neerim South and I’m thrilled to have my work alongside some other fantastic pieces from some skilled sculptors. Make sure to treat yourself and pop along! @neerimboweracquisition @neerimbower @visitgippsland #sculpture #art #seagulls #hotchips #woodcarving ... See MoreSee Less
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The past four and a half weeks have looked a little different around here. I’ve been off my feet with a severe grade calf rupture and, while healing is underway, it will still be some time before I’m able to return to work and be back at my bench (yes, it is driving me mad). To everyone who has supported my work — thank you. As a self-employed artist, your past purchases and bookings are quite literally carrying me through this slow season 🙏🏻🤍And to those booked into my recent @raretradescentre class — I’m so sorry for the cancellation and appreciate your understanding more than you know. ❤️☀️ ... See MoreSee Less
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Final weekend to see my family of seagulls, ‘Shoreline Sirens’ as part of Tidal Reflections @manyunggallery in Sorrento 💙Swipe to see some rare progress shots…once I get going I often forget to stop and take a photo! Hand carved and painted in my South Gippsland studio and now by the seaside 🥰🌊 ... See MoreSee Less
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LEARN THE CRAFT

Workshops

From 1 day classes where you’ll dip your toe into the world of woodcarving, through to 5 day workshops, making something decorative or learning technical skills. Join me in a workshop, let the creativity flow and the fun begin!