HANDMADE
ROCKING HORSES
GET TO KNOW ME
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.
ROCKING HORSES
CLASSES
Learn to hand carve your own timber rocking horse!
Over the course of 4 days you will learn to use traditional tools and techniques to hand carve your own rocking horse. Whilst being a simplified version of an heirloom rocking horse, your rocking horse will still use all of the same joinery and constructions techniques used in all of my rocking horses. Classes are suitable for beginners, whilst still have room for experienced students to carve a more detailed rocking horse.
LATEST NEWS
EVENTS
CONTACT
Please do not hesitate to phone or email me to discuss your dream piece, place an order or enquire about a piece on this site. I am always happy to work with your particular specifications.
EMAIL: olivia@oliviaoconnor.com.au
PHONE: 0449 933 043
SOCIAL:
Make a bird whistle with me!
It’s fun, quick and easy!
Link to the video is in the comments 🦜 💕🐥 ... See MoreSee Less
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m.youtube.com/watch?v=-X8NyBWA_Sk&t=1s
I finished and delivered this Dapple Grey Mare to her new home last week 🥰🥰🥰
#rockinghorse #woodcarving #horse #woodentoys #woodenhorse #childhood #heirloom #grey #dapplegrey #oliviaoconnorcarving ... See MoreSee Less
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Lovely work Olivia.
Yes, she is smiling!
beautiful
Carol Hassell these r nice 😊
Gorgeous
Gorgeous ❤️
I have an unsaddled rocking horse, wondering if you could help me out with where to purchase a saddle and bridle?
Terrific, as usual.
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Send summer vibes - and maybe a pair of eyes. It’s a little bit chilly today in the studio as I’m finishing off this little lady. ☀️🐎☀️🐎☀️
#rockinghorse #woodcarver #woodcarving #horse #mare #dapplegrey #chilly #summervibes ... See MoreSee Less
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Can only imagine. No doubt rain isn’t far away from you guys. My sister tells me there’s lots of water laying about.
She’s smiling 🥰
It looks young .
Hello Everyone!
Here is a link to a WOODBLOCK CARVING AND PRINTING video I have made. I’d really appreciate it if you had a little watch and even better if you try one yourself!
Good luck, let me know if you have any questions and please tag me in your carving/printing creations - I’d love to see what you do!
Cheerio,
Olivia.
https://m.youtube.com/watch/… ... See MoreSee Less
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A sample of what we made!
Haven’t done a woodblock since TAFE. Loved it.
Love you work and your Rocking Horses. Fantastic video, it's brilliant. www.facebook.com/groups/995786943962653
This Saturday (June 12th) I’ll be demonstrating woodblock carving and printing from my workshop straight to your computer! It’s live so you can even ask questions in real time!
It’s via the @carbatec YouTube channel at 10.30am (Melbourne time) and will be fun 🥳
#woodcarving #woodblock #woodblockprinting #printmaking #woodcarver #carbatec #oliviaoconnorcarving ... See MoreSee Less
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Protea and friends carving in progress.
Should I paint it?
#woodcarving #nativeflowers #woodcarver #art #artwork #hangingsculpture ... See MoreSee Less
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Looks awesome! Hard to say, I think you’d make it look awesome either way!!
It's beautiful
Beautiful!
No
Wonderful Olivia, I would not paint it but perhaps just rub a little colour into protea flower
Fascinating!
May be some sort of natural oil ?
Ditto above, lovely as it is.
Ooooh can't wait to see what you do. 🤔😊
I think no. Xx
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LIVE RADIO!
I don’t like the sound of my own voice, so I might let @glenrundellchairmaker and @ruthallenglass do most of the talking 😂😂 as we are on ABC National Radio, Saturday Nightlife Program at 10pm tonight (my bed time!)!
Tune in to hear us in conversation with David Prior as we discuss what it takes to be a maker in this modern age and the importance of good training and well made work.
It’ll be fun!
@abcradionational ... See MoreSee Less
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This is awesome!!! Everyone hates the sound of their own voice, don’t let it stop you from owning the radio waves
Timeline Photos ... See MoreSee Less
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Timeline Photos ... See MoreSee Less
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Bonsoir
Little tour of my most recent pony 🥰 ... See MoreSee Less
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Beautiful, as usual!
So so beautiful xxx
That’s the best one I’ve seen in a very long time!!😉👍
I’m 70 yo and I still really want one of your beautiful horses - some of us are lucky enough not to grow up ❤️
Love the mane so beautiful
Absolutely stunning. I'd love one. 😍
Just love it
Michelle Perry
Kevin Spencer
Gorgeous
beautiful!
Beautiful
Beautiful
Beautiful.
Wow beautiful
Just beautiful!
A price please
Stunning what is the price please?
Beautiful
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SHARPENING!
This little collection may not look very impressive but this Saturday I’ll show you how to use these few things to get your carving tools razor sharp!
Tune in via the @carbatec YouTube channel, 10.30am Melbourne time, Saturday 8th May to view live or anytime afterwards 😊
#livestream #carbatec #sharpening #toolsharpening #woodcarving #live #free #fun ... See MoreSee Less
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Slowly, slowly scraping back layers of ‘modern’ paint to reveal the original paint work 😍
#restoration #somuchpaint ... See MoreSee Less
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So rewarding !
That's so exciting to find!
SEYMOUR ALTERNATIVE FARMING EXPO.
It is with regret that I am not attending the Seymour Alternative Farming Expo this year, I have attended every year for the last 5 or 6 years and always look forward to it in my calendar. I speak with many of the same patrons each year and have made friends with the surrounding stall holders and was looking forward to catching up with everyone after the last year.
I am still carving and making rocking horses and am in the very fortunate position to be currently booked out with rocking horse work. As such I made the decision to put my head down and keep carving, painting and stitching to honour my existing clients and finish what I have promised them on time, versus loosing a week + in the workshop to attend the expo.
I hope those of you attending have tons of fun and those of you who aren’t, mark it in your calendars for next year!
Now I’ve got to get back to work...
#seymour #seymouralternativefarmingexpo #seymourexpo #centralvictoria #rockinghorses #woodcarving #sorry ... See MoreSee Less
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My most recent livestream, carving 3D shapes
https://m.youtube.com/watch/… ... See MoreSee Less
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Some recent carvings using Australian timber:
1. Golden Wattle (branch fell in a storm down the road)
2. Blackwood
3. Huon Pine
4 & 5. Blackwood
And all the Blackwood is South Gippsland local 😍
#australia #carving #local ... See MoreSee Less
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My recent rabbit made from an off cut of Huon. Currently carving off cuts to get back into the groooove of carving 🤣
Love them all!