Jeff Oestreich, born 1947 in St Paul, Minnesota, studied art at the University of Minnesota.

In 1968 at Warren MacKenzie's suggestion he travelled to St Ives to ask Bernard Leach if he could become a student at the Leach Pottery. Leach agreed, and in 1969 he came back for a two year stay at Higher Stennack.

On his return to the States in 1971 he set up his own workshop, making porcelain and stoneware. His work is thrown and altered. He variously uses electric, gas and wood fired kilns, and has a salt kiln. His decoration is sometimes banded, sometimes wax-resist, sometimes brushed - always in keeping with the form of the pot and with coloured areas in carefully planned proportions.

Jeff is a globetrotter; he was artist in residence at Unitec in Auckland, New Zealand in 1995, and often gives workshops and exhibitions in various parts of the world.