About The Author - Ola Cohn MBE. Ola Cohn MBE (1892 - 1964) was a pioneer of modernist sculpture in Australia. Her Fairies’ Tree in the Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne has delighted generations of children and adults. From May 1931 to May 1934 Ola spent many hours of unpaid dedication to complete her carvings.While working on carving the Fairies’ Tree, Ola started to write her books about the tree and fairies. All together Ola published 4 books, The Fairies’ Tree 1932, More About The Fairies’ Tree 1933, Castles In The Air 1935 and Mostly Cats 1964.Contents in five sections: Early Life; I Decided on My Career; An Island of Interest; The Fairies’ Tree; As Time Goes By. With a foreword by the author.Ola Cohn was born in Bendigo, Victoria. She went to school at Girton College in Bendigo & then studied drawing & sculpture at the Bendigo School of Mines. She continued her studies in Melbourne at Swinburne Technical College & then at the Royal College of Art in London. On her return to Melbourne in 1930 she established a studio at Grosvenor Chambers (9 Collins Street, Melbourne) and later moving to Gipps Street, East Melbourne. Cohn’s works in bronze, stone & wood are held in many state & regional galleries. Important works include the Fairies’ Tree in the Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne which she sculpted between 1931 & 1934 and donated to the children of Melbourne. She was President of the Melbourne Society of Women Painters & Sculptors from 1948 to 1964, a founding member of the Australian Sculptors Society & an active member of the Victorian Artists’ Society, the Victorian Sculptors’ Society & Melbourne Contemporary Artists.From the introduction: I have written this book for sheer love of my fellow creatures, and I dedicate it to my dear friend and fellow artist Marjorie McChesney Mathews who shares this love .
