Refsal was born and raised on a farm near Hoffman, Minnesota, which was homesteaded by his Norwegian-immigrant grandparents. His father, a carpenter and farmer, and a woodworker uncle who lived nearby kept him well supplied with wood, tools, and encouragement.
Bachelor of Arts, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Eksamen Filosophicum,
M. Division., Luther Theological Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Candidate Magazine., Telemark University College, Rauland, Norway.
He began working in wood as a young boy. Refsal lived in Norway in the 1960s and again in the 1980s, and has traveled extensively throughout Scandinavia. Upon retiring from full-time teaching at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa in 2010, he holds the title Professor Emeritus of Scandinavian Folk Artist
Since the 1980s, Refsal, who speaks fluent Norwegian, has shared his knowledge of and skills in Scandinavian-style flat-plane figure carving with thousands of carvers through courses and presentations in North America and in Scandinavia.
Refsal teaches carving at a variety of course centers through the United States., including Vesterheim Museum, Decorah, Iowa. North House Folk School, Grand Marais, Minnesota.
Milan Village Arts School, Milan, Minnesota. Norsk Wood Works, Barronett, Wisconsin. And the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, North Carolina. He was named 2012 Woodcarver of the Year by Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine.
Refsal is an Emeritus Member of the Caricature Carvers of America.
