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. - Sarah Johnston 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 |
