Keith Olsen
Pottery as a Journey
“I have been throwing pottery part-time for over 30 years. I started in college at the local craft center and love the way spinning clay can become something functional, beautiful and lovely to hold. After a brief pause when my children were infants, I moved my clay operation to my home garage and eventually transitioned my work to cone 6 electric. I still occasionally get the chance to wood/soda fire in outdoor atmospheric kilns. I am mostly self-taught and love my local clay community where we share ideas and wisdom on the ceramic process. Recently, I built my first heated studio and now enjoy making pottery year-round without the stress of worrying about clay and glaze freezing in the Oregon winter (not to mention my hands). In recent years, I have started making cremation urns, and I love how the beauty and functionality of handmade ceramics connects the everyday to the larger forces of life.”
