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JULIE OLSON:  ARTIST STATEMENT
In honing my skills as a craftsman, I strive to make order out of chaos, explorers out of spectators, and to create appreciation through understanding.
The lidded form represents the unknown, something that can spark the curious to become involved.  The object must be touched and handled: shape, color, texture, weight, and size are all artistic decisions which are my tools.  When an observer becomes a participant and recognizes my efforts, I have accomplished my goal.

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ABOUT JULIE
I have been working with clay for thirty four years now and enjoy the never ending possibilities of the medium.  The ideas that inspire me have lead me to also acquire skills in other media.  When my boxes needed hinges I studied stained glass and metalsmithing.  Finials for my boxes and towers led me to lampworking.  My shrines required knowledge in woodworking, and bookmaking skills were needed for the journals placed in those shrines.  I strive to fabricate all aspects of my creations down to the paper boxes for presentation.  I guess you say that I have become a mixed media artist…with a strong clay background.