Alfred Olschewski was born in East Prussia, now part of Russia; he died in Acton, MA in 2001. He lived in Germany and Sao Paulo, Brazil before settling in Massachusetts in 1961. He earned his degree from the art school in Dusseldorf, Germany. In Brazil he did textile designs and studied scarfito, a method of painting that involves mortar and scraping. He moved to Cambridge, MA, where he met his wife Evelyn. He worked as an illustrator for Harpers, Atlantic Monthly, Down East, Yankee and other magazines, and was a teacher at schools and the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln. He wrote and illustrated six children's books. His works include pen, inks, oils, temperas, water colors, charcoals, acrylics, lithographs, and pencil drawings, in a variety of styles such as abstract, modernist, traditionalist, modern impressionist and others. His work has been shown in solo shows at Boston City Hall, the Concord Art Association and the Institute of Contemporary Art.