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:
Olivia O'Connor Carving
11 hours ago
Ruby explaining to Ned that she is, in fact, Queen Of All The Water Troughs.
Ned is throughly agreeing.
#bestdogs #farmlife #happydogs #queen #queenruby ... See MoreSee Less
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Olivia O'Connor Carving
3 days ago
Started a brand new horse today and played around and made my first ever woodblock carving and print - I carved and printed super quick and rough to see if I was on the right path...can’t wait to start experimenting properly!
#woodblock #newideas #woodcarving #woodwork #woodworker #rockinghorse #newhorse #printing ... See MoreSee Less
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Olivia O'Connor Carving
7 days ago
All weekend I’ll be carving, carving, carving...what creative projects are you doing today?
#woodcarving #carving #weekend #wip #cat #oliviaoconnorcarving ... See MoreSee Less
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Beautiful- spoons
Wonderful video Olivia !!!
Olivia O'Connor Carving
7 days ago
All weekend I’ll be carving, carving, carving...what creative projects are you doing today?
#woodcarving #carving #weekend #wip #cat #oliviaoconnorcarving ... See MoreSee Less
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Olivia O'Connor Carving
1 week ago
Cat and 100 million wood chips.
#woodcarving #catsofinstagram #kittycat #woodcarver #wip #wipart #progress #oliviaoconnorcarving ... See MoreSee Less
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Olivia O'Connor Carving
2 weeks ago
Please tell me that you can see a cat carving in all that timber?!
#woodcarving #cat #catsofinstagram ... See MoreSee Less
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Looks like a Minecraft chicken! 😋🐔
Elmer reckons the back end of a cane loco, but I am sure that it will indeed be a terrific cat.
Yes I can, but also a huge duck! 😂
I can’t but that’s probably what makes you the artist so if you tell me it’s a cat I believe you
I see a whole lot of timber awaiting birth. Rock on.
Um no.... 😂
Looking forward to follow up photos...
How many G clamps Olivia ?😳but I can’t see a cat but I have no artistic imagination 😀 I sure it will be a masterpiece
I see a 🦆
No tail ?
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Olivia O'Connor Carving
2 weeks ago
Please tell me that you can see a cat carving in all that timber?!
#woodcarving #cat #catsofinstagram ... See MoreSee Less
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Olivia O'Connor Carving
3 weeks ago
I’ve designed a beginners carving class for @aworkshopofourown using just 2 different gouges! Book a ticket and learn something super fun and relaxing!
Posted @withregram • @aworkshopofourown INSTRUCTOR HIGHLIGHT! Olivia O’Connor, she/her, @oliviaoconnorcarving! Olivia will be teaching INTRO TO WOODCARVING on Thurs. Feb 18th, 6 pm-8 pm EST.
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Olivia O’Connor is a woodcarver and rocking horse maker. Working from her studio in the rolling green hills of South Gippsland, Victoria (Australia.)
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Olivia has a lifelong passion for making and is particularly drawn to working with natural materials. She studied Furniture Design and Construction at RMIT and Prop Making and Scenic Art for Theatre and Film at NIDA. Olivia taught herself woodcarving in order to make her first rocking horse in 2011. Olivia has been carving custom made rocking horses full time since 2013 and has been expanding her carving knowledge and practice ever since. Since then her work has expanded to include rocking horse restorations, all manner of woodcarvings as well as teaching and demonstrating.
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Olivia is passionate about making woodwork accessible, creating and sharing her carving knowledge with those wanting to gain new skills.
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Olivia O’Connor will be teaching INTRO TO WOODCARVING on Thurs. Feb 18th, 6 pm-8 pm EST.
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Teacher Info:
web:
Facebook:
Instagram: @oliviaoconnorcarving
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#fromwootoyou #wooworkshop #aworkshopofourown #womenincraft #nonbinarymakers #womeninwoodworking #woodworking #wood #woodshop #handmade #handcrafted #design #craft #carving #handcarving #oliviaconnorcarving ... See MoreSee Less
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As usual, great work, the handshake is really excellent.
Wonderful work !!
Olivia O'Connor Carving
3 weeks ago
I think it might be time I resurrected this old design of mine...happy dogs = happy days!
#dogs #dogsofinstagram #woodcarving ... See MoreSee Less
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Olivia O'Connor Carving
3 weeks ago
I’ve got a huge project coming up and honestly I’m a little daunted/nervous/excited about stepping into the world of power carving for the first time, luckily @arbortechie has helped me out with some tools to make it all a little easier. Now who wants to help me out with some dog training? 😂😂🤷♀️
#gooddogs #woodcarving #woodcarver #arbortech ... See MoreSee Less
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Always in on the action, Ruby!!
This is what I mentioned yesterday The Organised Life Project
Have fun! The dogs are perfect, no training needed.
I love your helpers😀
Olivia O'Connor Carving
4 weeks ago
This month on my @carbatec livestream I’ll be showing you how to carve rounded shapes and introducing you to the world of guilding (applying metal leaf, usually gold, silver or copper). It’s all bundled up into this fun and massive Christmas Beetle for you to play with!
This Saturday, Feb 13th at 10.30am (Melbourne time) on the @carbatec YouTube channel. See ya there!
#carbatec #livestream #thissaturday #woodcarving #beetle #copper #reddog #christmas #oliviaoconnorcarving ... See MoreSee Less
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Perfect, Ruby!
Olivia O'Connor Carving
4 weeks ago
As a big tennis fan I love how Ash Barty’s most recent trophy looks just like the wombat I carved my parents for Christmas...and they didn’t even have to work up a sweat for their wooden wombat! 😂😂
I’ve no idea who carved the trophy version but it sure it cute 🥰
#wombat #trophy #ashbarty #yarravalleyclassic #tennis #woodcarving ... See MoreSee Less
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I love the trophy. also I got cranky when the radio announcer today made fun and scoffed at it l think it’s way better that a mass produced trophy that any of the tennis players have lots of
Love the wombat you carved! What a wonderful gift to your parents ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Olivia O'Connor Carving
4 weeks ago
Don’t worry Ruby, I really didn’t want to stand in front of my vice anyway 😂🙄🤷♀️
#woodcarving #woodwork #ruby ... See MoreSee Less
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Always by your side!!
Dogs are so funny.
Wow a cat dressed up like a dog.
Olivia O'Connor Carving
1 month ago
Biggest job to date, this might take a while and need a lot of planning!
#woodcarving
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What a challenge. Updates as you go please.
How about eagle with the wigs out?
I have sent you a private message.
Olivia O'Connor Carving
2 months ago
Turning off cuts into little birds!
Tune in Saturday 9th, 10.30am (Melbourne time) on the Carbatec YouTube channel. ... See MoreSee Less
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The live show was great, thanks Olivia 👍
Kelly Grimm