Robin Johnson sits down with woodwork artist Olly Fathers to explore how traditional marquetry, wood veneer and painstaking hand cutting become contemporary geometric art. Olly shares his path from studying fine art and working as an art technician to developing a full time studio practice with his wife, Emma. He explains how years spent installing major artworks, experimenting with woodworking and making art alongside freelance jobs shaped the artist he is today.

The conversation goes deep into Olly’s creative process, including his use of bog oak dating to around 2500 BC, traditional marquetry techniques, geometric patterns, optical illusion, natural wood grain and heat shading. He reveals the extraordinary planning behind A Drop in Time, including 452 individually cut sections and an approach that turned the remaining veneer into additional artworks with almost zero waste.

Olly also opens up about pricing art, imposter syndrome, the risks of becoming fashionable too quickly and why he prefers a slow, steady creative career. He and Robin discuss the realities behind the art world, selling directly to collectors, working with galleries and interior designers, balancing creativity with business and why continually pushing into creative discomfort keeps the work developing.

Key Topics Covered

✦ How Olly Fathers developed his distinctive wood veneer and marquetry practice

✦ Moving from fine art and art installation into a full time creative career

✦ Creating geometric art through grain, colour, movement and optical illusion

✦ Making A Drop in Time from 4500 year old bog oak and 452 hand cut sections

✦ Turning veneer offcuts into new artworks and reducing material waste

✦ Pricing artwork, imposter syndrome and the business realities facing artists

✦ Why creative discomfort, experimentation and patience drive better work

✦ Selling art through collectors, consultants, galleries, interior designers and social media

Check out Olly’s Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ollyfathers/?hl=en

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Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson, founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop, this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you’re a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

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Key Moments:

00:00 Discovering Olly Fathers and his unusual approach to wood veneer art

04:21 Studying fine art and finding a love for making

07:33 Installing Picasso and Monet and learning inside the art world

09:34 Turning a one bedroom flat into a creative studio during Covid

13:09 What art school fails to teach about making a living as an artist

15:25 Pricing artwork, imposter syndrome and valuing creative work

17:17 How sudden success and inflated prices can damage an artist’s career

20:06 Bauhaus, minimal art and the influences behind Olly’s geometric work

23:03 Months of planning behind A Drop in Time

24:34 Creating art from bog oak dating to around 2500 BC

25:45 Hand cutting 452 individual veneer sections

26:53 How precision cutting created additional artworks with almost zero waste

30:41 Using traditional heat shading to transform wood veneer

44:32 Selling art directly through Instagram, collectors and consultants

52:43 The 4500 year story behind A Drop in Time