Roger Olson
woodturner extraordinaire…
Purple Gloss Vase (V157), 2023, box elder, carved and ebonized, 6.5 x 6 inches (16.5 x 15 cm), $625.00 Cdn.
Textured Birch Hollow Turning with African Blackwood (V159), 2023, dry brushed, hand carved, 3.75 x 6.5 inches (9.5 x 16.5 cm), $625.00 Cdn.
Beaver Mines Vase (V156), 2023, poplar burl, natural edge, 7x6.5 inches (19x16.5 cm), $450.00 Cdn.
Burl Bowl (B210), 2023, box elder, turned, 2.75 x 11 inches (7 x 28 cm), $450.00 Cdn.
Natural Edge Pair (V158ab), 2023, box elder burl, turned, 6.5 x 5 and 3.75 x 3 inches (16.5 x 12.5 and 9.5 x 7.5 cm), overall measurements 6.5 x 8 inches, $450.00 Cdn.
Wide-Textured Rim Bowl (B211), 2023, mahogany, turned and textured, 1.75 x 9 inches (4.5 x 23 cm), $525.00 Cdn.
Natural Red & Edged Bowl (B212), 2023, box elder, turned, 3.5 x 6 inches (9 x 15 cm), $450.00 Cdn.
Lidded Box (BX12), 2023, box elder burl, cocobolo, abalone shell, turned, carved, inlaid, 3.5 x 2.5 inches (9 x 6.5 cm), $150.00 Cdn.
Lidded Box (BX13), 2023, box elder burl (natural red), turned, 3.25 x 3 inches (8.5 x 8 cm), $150.00 Cdn.
Lidded Box (BX14), 2023, box elder burl, turned, 3.75 x 2.5 inches (9.5 x 6.5 cm), $150.00 Cdn.
Celtic Twist, mayday bowl, turned, carved & painted, 2.75 x 7.5 (7 x 19 cm), $375.00 Cdn.
Classic Mayday Bowl, turned, 2.5 x 6.25 (6.5 x 16 cm), $150.00 Cdn.
Wood Ring (box elder burl, birch bent wood), size 4.5, turned, vacuum pot dyed, durable CA finish, lined with bent wood, $135.00 Cdn.
Wood Ring (box elder burl, teak bent wood), size 6, turned, vacuum pot dyed, durable CA finish, lined with bent wood, $135.00 Cdn.
Wood Ring (spalted birch, walnut bentwood), size 7.25, turned, vacuum pot dyed, durable CA finish, lined with bent wood, $135.00 Cdn.
Wood Ring (box elder burl, dyed red, walnut bent wood), size 8, turned, vacuum pot dyed, durable CA finish, lined with bent wood, $135.00 Cdn.
Wood Ring (african blackwood, maple bent wood, copper), size 8, turned, vacuum pot dyed, durable CA finish, lined with bent wood, $135.00 Cdn.
Wood Ring (box elder burl, bird's eye maple bent wood, .925 silver), size 12.5, turned, vacuum pot dyed, durable CA finish, lined with bent wood, $175.00 Cdn.
Natural Edged Box Elder Bowl, turned, dyed red, 4.25 x 6 inches (11 x 15 cm), sold.
Apple Blossom Bowl with Spout, turned, ebonized and textured apple wood, 4.25 x 6.5 inches (11 x 16.5 cm), sold.
Apple Blossom Vase, turned, ebonized and textured apple wood, 3 x 5.5 inches (8 x 14 cm), sold.
Finial Hollow Turning Vessel, turned spalted birch with walnut, 7.75 x 4.75 inches (19 x 12 cm), sold.
Fine Craftsmanship - Terrific Design.
I love wood and the freedom of expressing what I want.
I trust my eye.
New expressions come from not being afraid to challenge an original idea.
The bowls, vases and furniture pieces that Roger Olson creates from maple, mayday, cherry, local poplar and many other woods confirm his enjoyment to create with his hands.
From the elegant lines of a spalted maple vase to the highly crafted design of a cherry and poplar table, Olson's work shows both his craftsmanship and his imagination. The size, shape and grain of wood plank determine its inner form; however, Roger will often maneuver the piece of work a number of different ways to develop his particular vision.
Collections:
Governor General of Canada Collection
Private collections: Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Ireland, the United States, and across Canada.
Roger had solo exhibitions at the Lethbridge Public Library and at the Galt Museum, Lethbridge (2008) and two solo exhibitions at the Willock & Sax Gallery (2001, 2006) as well as being the Gallery’s feature artist in August 2019. Early in his art practice Olson took part in Woodturning Conferences across Western Canada and the Alberta Woodworking & Tool Shows, where his work was exhibited and received high honors.
The artist lives in Southern Alberta and has worked with wood for close to 50 years. He is a cabinetmaker by trade stemming from a four-year apprenticeship degree in carpentry from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). He began woodturning by attending workshops given by Dr. Jim Farr.