Collection: Artist: Amy Johnson

Amy Johnson Artist Statement/Bio

I am a ceramic artist from North Carolina, handmaking one-of-a-kind pieces, specializing in pit fired pottery.
When I began studying pottery my original goal was to create functional art. I spent a good deal of time learning precision, and how to make multiples of the same thing. Weighing and measuring, each piece conforming to the next.
As my skills and experience grew, I developed an interest in alternative firing techniques, especially pit firing.
Things really took off during the first few weeks of quarantine. The situation offered a great opportunity to fully experiment with pit firing. I felt driven to simply make without boundaries. No weighing. No measuring. Just creating. It was freeing and inspiring—perhaps an unconscious, inner rebellion. It became the perfect creative escape.
Pit firing by nature is unpredictable. Each piece is unique. I love the process from start to finish and continue to learn and experiment. There’s nothing like the anticipation of waiting to see what will emerge from the ashes.

A little more about me:

I have an art degree from Appalachian State University and worked as a graphic designer and art director early in my career. I’m an experienced photographer and love to draw, paint and dabble in anything creative. In 2009 I began SheWearsManyHats.com. My ceramics education includes a combination of local classes and workshops, as well as a year in the Independent Study and Mentoring Program with The Village Potters in Asheville, NC, where I was immersed in the world of ceramics and surrounded by constant encouragement and inspiration.
My husband and I are empty nesters living in North Carolina, where we enjoy cooking, music, gardening and the beautiful outdoors.