T H E T R O P H I E S
C R E A T E D B Y 3 R D W H E E L P O T T E R S
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A B O U T T H E T R O P H I E S
For the creation of the 2025 North American Bonsai Pottery Competition's trophies, we’re excited to highlight a talented group of North American artists who have recently come together to form Third Wheel Potters. Each member brings their own unique style and skill to the table, and together they designed and created these one-of-a-kind trophies for the event. These trophies are a true reflection of their creativity and dedication, with every detail thoughtfully designed and executed. By featuring these unique creations and artists at the event, we aim to provide bonsai potters with a larger platform, fostering their continued growth and appreciation within the bonsai community.
These special trophies will be presented to the first-place winners in each category, making them not only a symbol of achievement but also a celebration of the artistry and craftsmanship behind bonsai pottery. |
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A B O U T 3 R D W H E E L P O T T E R S
Third Wheel Potters is what happens when three clay-loving friends – Preston Tolbert, Eli Akins and Rob Wallace- decide making pots is even better when done together. We’re potters who love to go for big- big ideas, big laughs and especially big pots. What started as casual calls and messages about kilns, glazes and techniques soon turned into something grander. We found ourselves chatting at shows, swapping ideas and eventually realizing, hey, why aren’t we working in the same space?
A few years ago, Eli invited Rob and Preston to his Waldo Street Pottery studio in Atlanta for a weekend of throwing, experimenting, and generally making a mess. Somewhere between the laughter and the late nights on the wheels, we decided to collaborate on pieces- each one of us contributing to different parts of a pot. And, of course, we went big. The results were exciting, and more importantly, the experience was something special. Since then, we’ve made it a tradition to host collaboration events at Preston’s Warehouse Arts studio in Statesville, NC and Rob’s Wallace Woods studio in Columbus, NC. These gatherings aren’t just about making pots- they are about learning and sharing, pushing boundaries, and enjoying the camaraderie that comes with working alongside friends who share the same passion. At some point, we realized these unique pieces needed a name. After some brainstorming (and probably too much coffee), we landed on “Third Wheel”- a playful nod to our trio and the idea that sometimes, being a third wheel is exactly where you want to be. Now, every collaboratively-created, larger than life pot carries the Third Wheel Pots name, a symbol of friendship, uniqueness, and the joy of creating together. |
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M E E T T H E A R T I S T S
Eli Akins has been creating ceramics, specifically for the art of bonsai, for twelve years. Eli began learning through a couple of basic classes at Callanwolde Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia, under instructors Glenn Dair and Lora Rust. He later gained a mentorship from renowned American bonsai pot makers Ron Lang and Sharon Edwards-Russell. After becoming enamored with bonsai at an early age and jumping in head-first as an adult, the culture around the trees led to the culture of the containers. Both the extensive collection of pots held by his bonsai teachers, Rodney and Charlie Clemons, at Allgood Bonsai, and the whimsical work of his cousin, Dedo Maranville, sparked a passion to begin the journey in pottery.
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R O B E R T W A L L A C E
WALLACE WOODS POTTERY NORTH CAROLINA, USA "I have always been inspired by nature from the sublime views from our mountain tops to the quiet beauty of lichens growing on a rock. It is the beauty of age and natural layers formed in ways our hands can never emulate that draw me in. More than just a scene or image it is the story that nature tells that I want to emulate in my pottery." - Robert
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Robert Wallace received his B.F.A. in Painting and Art Education from Ohio University in 1999. Shortly after, he moved to North Carolina and discovered the art of bonsai at the 1999 Carolina Bonsai Expo. Robert realized that instead of painting from nature’s inspiration, he could sculpt using trees and plants from nature. Having some knowledge of clay from his undergraduate degree, Robert began exploring how to make containers for bonsai and other horticultural plantings. When he returned to school to receive his master's degree, Robert chose to explore ceramics further, and in 2007 completed his M.A.E.d. from Western Carolina University, focusing on ceramics, bonsai, and their connections to art education. This is also where Robert learned about wood firing and soda glazing techniques that he often uses in his work. Robert currently lives in Columbus, NC, with his wife and two sons. He teaches high school art, enjoys growing his collection of bonsai, competing in endurance sports, and creating pottery at home. Robert recently built a new hybrid kiln that can fire with wood and gas, and is enjoying using that along with his electric kiln to create one-of-a-kind, high-quality bonsai containers.
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P R E S T O N T O L B E R T
TOLBERT CERAMICS NORTH CAROLINA, USA "I think of my pots as sign posts or bookmarks that direct the mind to a moment in time or a place. Each tree, pot, and stand is a conduit to the hands that shaped them, used them, and passed them on. In this, these objects are more powerful than just the physical image they portray. Through pottery, I can be a part of the gestalt of bonsai." - Preston
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Preston Tolbert is a full time artist working in Statesville, NC. He studied ceramics at Western Carolina University under Professor Joan Byrd. While at WCU he met his wife Sara Tolbert, also a potter. There he started his kiln building career, designing and building several wood kilns. After graduation in 2007, they moved to Clarkdale, Arizona to be assistants to ceramic sculptor Don Reitz. After moving back to North Carolina in 2010, they built a small wood soda kiln and opened a pottery shop in Old Fort. In 2014, Preston enrolled in grad school at The University of Mississippi with Matt Long. After graduation, he and Sara once again moved back to North Carolina, this time to Statesville, where they currently operate Warehouse Arts, a facility for workshops, artist residency, and ceramics equipment manufacturing. Preston also teaches Ceramics at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory NC.
T H A N K Y O U T O O U R S P O N S O R S
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D I S C O V E R P O T T E R S I S P R O U D T O S P O N S O R T H E 2 0 2 5 N O R T H A M E R I C A N B O N S A I P O T T E R Y C O M P E T I T I O N
3rd Wheel Potters photography courtesy of the artists. All other photographs by Angelica Ramirez.