Jody Johnstone first became interested in ceramics while living and working in Japan. Several years later, she took her first pottery class and later began a two-year apprenticeship with Isezaki Jun in Bizen, Japan. In 1996 Johnstone moved to Maine where she designed and constructed her own Anagama kiln, which she continues to use to this day. She has been highlighted in several exhibitions and has been featured in several publications.