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.

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.

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 built his studio, his gas kiln, and much of the equipment he uses

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 a dozen gallery shops in the southwestern United States.