Sarah Johnston
Sarah Johnston Ceramics
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I am a second-generation artist that attended precollege courses at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and received my bachelor's of fine arts with a focus in ceramics from Temple University, Tyler School of Art, in Philadelphia. I was trained in realistic drawing techniques, printmaking, and ceramics.
In college, I attended Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Bangor, Maine, and Paulus Berensohn was the visiting artist. He took us through a guided meditation where we pinched a ball of clay. The experience was extremely calming, yet I did not do this again until 2020 during the pandemic. I felt frustrated, overwhelmed, and disconnected—like many people during that time. I needed a way to manage these feelings and the experience with Paulus so many years ago came rushing back. I immediately got a small ball of clay and started pinching it into a vessel with my eyes closed in a slow and methodical way. I felt a level of calm and centeredness in a very short amount of time that clearly spoke to me and calmed me down. I instinctively started pressing words into this small vessel and adding feet. After doing some research and listening to the words of Paulus Berensohn—his belief that as a craft person I have an obligation to pass on—the powerful combination of touch and clay became very clear. I teach a pinch pot meditation session monthly and continue to create these vessels as they take on a life of their own. This idea of mindfulness, and clay being a material that can help us maintain healthy emotional and mental health, is the guiding force of my art and how I relate to others in the classroom and in my studio. When I am not teaching, I am running my own business, Sarah Johnston Ceramics. I make ceramic address numbers and images tiles for homes and businesses. I also create functional ware and decor that brings warmth and life to any environment. Find Sarah Johnston Ceramics online at sarahjohnstonceramics.com and on Etsy at SarahJohnstonCeramic Follow Sarah Johnston Ceramics on Instagram: @sarahjohnstonceramics and Facebook: Sarah Johnston Ceramics |
