Jody Johnstone Brings Wood Fired Pottery To Maine By Building A 24-Foot Long Anagama Tunnel Kiln In Her Backyard
There are many potters in Maine but one potter you need to get to know is Jody Johnstone. She spent time in Japan with a master potter who specialized in wood firing which began Jody's passion for this particular practice. She went over to Japan to be a junior apprentice for Isezaki Sensei but wanted to get more out of the experience and was treated as an apprentice as she was very hands-on with crafting wood-fired pieces.
After her time in Japan, she came back to the states to launch her own pottery studio which led her to Swanville, Maine. Her property is a sanctuary deeply rooted in the woods with two log cabins. One that holds her beautiful artwork where people can purchase and the other holds her potter's wheel, clay, and other tools she can put together her pieces. As well as her beautiful home, 24-foot wood fire kiln, and a smaller wood fire kiln.
She fires up her 24-foot Anagama Tunnel twice a year, once in the spring and once in the late summer/early fall, and fills the tunnel to the brim with many pieces of pottery that were made throughout the year ready to be fired. Sometimes these pieces are sitting in her studio for 4 months just waiting for the kiln to be fired up. The firing is more like a ceremony where a group of other potters and friends of Jody bring their pieces they would like to be a part of the firing too. The best part about this ceremony is to see what the pieces look like after the firing is complete.
To learn more about what Jody will be doing for Maine Craft Weekend and to view her products, please visit her website. Feel free to follow her on Instagram to get updates on new products and what's going on at her studio.
Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, Velocipede with Julia Plumb and Baron Collins-Hill. Julia came to playing music by going to contra dances and wanting to play. A friend of Baron’s family gave him a mandolin to borrow and taught him a few chords. They both met in 2008 at Maine Fiddle Camp in Montville and loved making music together right away. They both love the tunes found in traditional dance music from a variety of places - Ireland, Québec, England, the US, and Scandinavia. Part of this music tradition is playing together with friends, which is part of how they got to know Jody at the Irish session in Belfast. You can check out their Facebook and YouTube to see more of their music but please stay until the end of the episode to hear The Birdhouse written by Baron and the second, The Cat After Sausages written by Julia.
If you enjoyed this Makers of the USA episode, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook. Please check out Makers of the USA's YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram. Thank you all and stay safe and healthy.
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