Don Gould

Don Gould came to bonsai through his work as a potter beginning in the mid-1970s.  His wood-fired pots and subtle glazes lent themselves to bonsai aesthetics.  His study of ancient pottery, Asian art and world design help him create bonsai containers that support the spirit and form of a wide variety of trees, grasses and companion plants.

He is pleased to see the growing number of ceramic artists who are now designing high quality bonsai containers.  These fellow potters help bring the world together through bonsai and contribute to the vitality of bonsai as an art form.  

Gould's bonsai containers are known for their timeless quality.  For the 5th World Bonsai Convention, he will premiere new bonsai container designs that celebrate classic forms and interpret them for a new century.

When not designing and making bonsai and ikebana containers, Gould is a product designer whose recent commercial work includes projects as diverse as several lines of glass dishes featured in major international hotels and restaurants, lighting designs that incorporate historic American pressed glass elements and packaging for a  major line of skincare products.  His product designs are in museum collections, books and have been widely published in style magazines.

He believes the creative problem-solving process involved in training bonsai is a valuable tool for both the artist and business professional.