Sonoran themed ceramics formed by artists Halldor and Gail Hjalmarson based out of the Historic District of Phoenix, Arizona.
Halldor and Gail Hjalmarson have maintained a pottery studio in the Roosevelt Historic District of central Phoenix since 1973 and produce a body of creative work which reflects the imagery and feeling of their Sonoran Desert. He says “I use sprigs to produce low-relief imagery on the surface of wheel thrown vessels and slab tiles. I try to achieve an interaction between the elements found in micro-landscapes of our desert. I work with reptiles, birds, insects, small mammals, plant life, and geology. Each work becomes a compositional challenge as I attempt to create relationships and tension between the low-relief images. I use a palette of colored ‘adhering’ slips and usually finish with semi-transparent glazes.”
Surface embellishment has become a passion for Halldor and he has developed a variety of techniques of imparting texture and imagery to the clay surface. He has refined the art of sprigging and has sculpted and cast more than 300 images of the Sonoran Desert which he uses in his work. His book, “Old Dog New Tricks,” is a most comprehensive publication on the art of sprigging.
Halldor builds most of his tools and equipment. He fires in a 40 cubic fot gas kiln of his own design and construction, and built the studio in which he works.
They both work closely with the Japanese Garden and Tea House in Phoenix and provide them with vessels used in ceremonies. He has studied and documented clay arts in Korea and Japan and maintains a friendship with potters from those countries.
He holds a master’s degree in art education from Arizona State University and has taught ceramic arts in secondary schools and community colleges in Arizona. He has shared experiences and techniques with other potters through workshops, lectures and print media.
Halldor is represented in numerous collections including the City of Phoenix, the Valley Bank and the Ceramic Research Center at Arizona State University. He has exhibited in the Arizona Annual and Bi-annual exhibits at the Phoenix and Albuquerque Art Museums and markets his work through gallery shops in the southwestern United States.
