Sculptor
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Carrie Olsen is a portrait sculptor, whose training in medicine gave her
the knowledge of anatomy that puts incredible accuracy in her sculptures.
She has studied in the US and France , learning portraiture and figurative
art as well as forensic facial reconstruction.
NSTRUCTOR: Classes and seminars in portrait, figure, and general sculpting techniques. Assistant instructor in lost wax casting, Bellevue, Washington .
COMMISSIONED WORK (partial list):
•Go Center of Seattle: cold cast copper high relief portrait of Japanese
international master of Go.
•Sir Walter Lindal (Cedar Homes): bronze portrait for corporate headquarters
and private home.
•Pinnacle Effects, Seattle : portrait sculpture of Joe Bob Briggs,
used on national movie channel.
•Portraits of individuals and families.
SHOWS AND AWARDS:
* Art on the Avenue, Houston , TX for the past several years.
* Gallery 3, Houston, TX 2009
* Art Exhibition, Winter Street Studios, Houston , TX
* Art exhibition, Mind Puddles Gallery, Houston , TX
* Art exhibition, Poissant Gallery, Houston , TX
* First place, juried show, Kenmore , WA
* Second place, juried show, Mountelake Terrace , WA
* Traveling art exhibition to Japan
* Honorable mention and Second Place , juried show, Edmonds Art
* First Place, juried show, Snohomish Arts Council show, Everett , WA
* Cultural Commission Award, Snohomish Arts, Everett , WA
* Two purchase awards, Artsplash, Redmond , WA
EDUCATION:
ART STUDIES:
•Sculpting Gesture, Animal and Human: Archie-Bray Foundation, with Beth
Cavener Stichter and Tip Toland
•Forensic facial reconstruction: Cleveland Institute of Art, Loveland
Academy of Art
•Portrait and abstract sculpture: Peter Rubino, Loveland Academy
•Portrait and figurative sculpture: Martine Vaudel, Les Cerqueux
s/Passavant, France
•Portrait and figurative sculpture: Bruno Lucchesi, Scottsdale Academy
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN GENERAL SCIENCE: University of Iowa
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MEDICINE: University of Iowa Medical School
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT DEGREE: University of Iowa Medical School
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Carrie Olsen is well known as an innovative and imaginative artist. She has worked in many different mediums, including bronze, steel, aluminum, cement, clay, wood, and plaster. Her work can be found in public and private collections in the United States , Middle East , and Japan . Her portrait sculpture is found in many homes and businesses. Her latest work has been creation of whimsical steel-and-cement horses. She also has taught classes in portrait and figurative art, as well as technical classes in some of the many mediums she uses. She has sculpted portraits including Sir Walter Lindal of Lindal Cedar Homes, Joe Bob Briggs of television, and Kaoru Iwamoto, the renowned Japanese Go master, and many other individuals. Her figures of clay and aluminum have won many awards. They are each totally individual, made by pouring aluminum in a way that attaches it to fired clay pieces. This is an unpredictable but exciting technique, and yields pieces varied and unique in texture and form.
She also studied forensic facial reconstruction, the fascinating technique of building a face onto a skull for purposes of identification or historical interest. "It really was an extension of the way I work, because I always start a portrait by making a skull, adapting it to the individual, and then adding the face. The forensics is great because the skull is already there for you, so half the work is already done."
Her horse sculptures began after she was inspired when commissioned to do a "portrait" of a friend's horse, leading to creation of a series of whimsical horses of cement and steel which have been extremely popular. These horses, too, have won awards, and have been sent to Japan for an exchange of art with sister cities through the Port of Everett, Washington. You can see her largest horse "Longshot" in Austin 's Rio Grande Restaurant.
"I feel I am still experimenting. There are so many new materials and each seems to pull at a different part of my imagination. Sometimes when I look at the different pieces I have made, it seems th