Roland Folse - Painting, Ceramics, & Wood

"An insatiable desire to create. All of my life I have wanted to make things, to use my hands, to change what I see or dream about into a new form. Maybe that is what drew me into surgery as a career. I grew up in a household where art was important and although I have had little formal art training, I have studied and experimented with many forms. I particularly enjoy nature; trees, mountains, streams, skies.
 
Almost 50 years ago I started raising bonsai, a living, structural art form. Shaping these trees has helped me visualize landscapes and trees in nature. Almost 20 years ago I took ceramic classes to learn how to make my own bonsai pots. Now I am hooked on art pottery, particularly with an oriental bend using shino and crystalline glazes. I enjoy working with wood and have maintained a work shop all of my adult life. My furniture pieces are one of a kind, using figured or unusual native woods in unique designs. Many of my pieces have bent wood forms, veneer, and multiple species of wood to accent the structure. I paint in pastel and oil and most subjects are trees and landscapes. Since retirement in 2000 I have been able to travel and take painting workshops in several countries. I enjoy painting en plein air and paint loosely and fairly quickly. I believe art is an integral part of life and it surely is a driving force in my daily activities."