Come and watch Finnish-American woodcarver Pekka Olson as he brings a bird to life! Questions encouraged.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Peter “Pekka” Olson uses wood, bark, bone and other natural materials to create works of art that highlight the natural beauty and versatility of the materials that the forests around his home in Tapiola, Michigan have to offer. Born and raised in this community, Olson’s life on a small subsistence farm with his Finnish family taught him how to use trees and the materials they offer for useful things: carved wooden handles, farm tools, sauna materials, and more. His later work as a woodsman, sustainably harvesting timber from his land, and his ongoing interest in his Finnish heritage, later led to his work as an artist: carving, weaving, assembling, and teaching others how to do the same. Pekka’s deep sense of nature contributes to his understanding of how to use different items to their advantage, mixing textures, grains, colors, and techniques. Always wanting to learn more and to teach his skills to the next generation, Pekka has been both a master and apprentice artist through awards from the Michigan Traditional Arts Program and the American Scandinavian Foundation, also receiving first prize at the Emberlight Festival as well as an Upper Peninsula Folklife Award from Northern Michigan University.