Previously a retailer, perhaps more through life circumstance than passion, Michael Olsen has spent the most part of his 70 years making things simply for pleasure or for practical purposes. More recently he has been able to let his artistic impulses develop and what has only ever been a hobby has now become a gratifying venture.
'I enjoy the simple, beautiful things life has to offer: love; family; the outdoors (cycling through it); music (better heard through a needle); and moments in time spent happily with others or alone - all of which, I think, inspire me to try to make beautiful things to enjoy. '
Michael Olsen always been fascinated about birds & butterflies being displayed in Victorian glass domes. For him, there is something captivating about that moment when a butterfly stops to let an onlooker admire it's form. 'I also like the way the dome can be used to showcase cherished objects and create eye-catching displays of nature's treasures. Using this as my stimulus I wanted to see if I could create something that is both contemporary and beautiful that could be displayed on the wall in the home. I decided to create a flight of butterflies. I love the idea of bringing nature indoors and made a conscious decision to make a piece large and intricate enough to be looked at daily, but to always offer something new to see.
For these installations I work with hand painted feather butterflies which are meticulously arranged as if floating on the wall and encased in simple acrylic boxes.'
