about
All items on this site are made by Paul Olson, without the use of molds or assistants, making each one an individual work of art.
The Short Story - Paul's work with ceramics grew out of his interest in bonsai, which he has cultivated since the untimely demise of his first potted juniper in 1989. After spending years acquiring ugly trees from the Maine woods, from nursery bargain bins, or various front yards, there came a need for pots. Finding quality bonsai pots out of financial reach, in 2006 Paul bought a second hand kick wheel and vintage kiln and began experimenting with forming shapes in clay. Ten years down the road and Clam Alley Pottery can be found in many bonsai collections, from novice to expert.
Two Clam Alley Pots were accepted to the 3rd National Juried Bonsai Pottery Exhibition at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the National Arboretum in Wasington DC in the summer of 2015, one earning the 2nd Place Award in the rectangle category.
As well as being a Grandpah and all around handyman, Paul is an Illustrator and Painter, and currently a Senior Critic in the Illustration Department at Rhode Island School of Design and Visiting Lecturer (18yrs.) in the Illustration Department at Massachusetts College of Art.
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