Staff
Tamsyn Bodwell, Founder & Owner
Tamsyn Leigh Bodwell (formerly Ackerman) earned her B.A. in Fine Art with a focus in ceramics from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Before founding Mill Pond Ceramics Studio in 2023, she spent much of her career as a graphic designer, and still currently runs Mill Pond Creative. In addition, she cofounded and ran the arts nonprofit ENGINE from 2009 to 2020. In her own ceramics practice, Bodwell has a strong passion for atmospheric firings (wood and raku) which can be seen in her online shop.
Contact
Email
207-229-3560 (voice and text)
Keanne Petrie, Studio Manager
Born in Mechanic Falls, Maine, Keanne holds a BFA in sculpture from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She has been creating sculptures and showing work since 2002 alongside her commercial work where she makes others peoples’ visions a reality.
Artist Statement: To me there is a fine balance to life, and always a sense of teetering on the brink of serenity and chaos. There is always a struggle to find the perfect footing between one world and the other, and so it is with my work. Intimate and mysterious, my sculptures are reflections on vulnerability, imperfection, hope, and strength. They speak to being an artist and also to the many complexities of existence and being human.
Contact
Email
Instructors
Mill Pond Ceramics Studio is lucky to work with many talented instructors. Some of our regular freelance instructors include:
Andrew Durham studied Ceramics at Scripps college with Paul Soldner where he learned to relate to ceramics as a fine art and not just a craft. He has since been inspired through his love of Japanese Ceramics, and tea culture specifically, to refine and develop cups, bowls and serving dishes. As a homeowner, Andrew likes to create natural plaster wall finishes (earth and lime based) and straw bale structures. Andrew is also currently working as a Geologist with a degree from UC Berkeley. See his work on Instagram.
Isabella Rotman is a cartoonist and illustrator living and drawing in Maine. Isabella has been making ceramics for two and a half years, and has been at Mill Pond since the beginning. Her ceramics work combines nature illustration with functional forms, and she particularly enjoys underglaze painting under a crystal clear glaze. See her work on Instagram and on her website.
Anna Smith is a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Southern Maine with a focus on ceramics and sculpture.
Johnna Scott is a graduate of University of New England with an arts education degree. She has taught adult pottery at Mill Pond, in addition to Portland Pottery, youth ceramics at Mill Studio Arts, and art at Oak Street Studios.
Kylie Smithline began working with clay in 2014 in high school. She took a ceramics class which soon turned into a hobby, then became a passion that led into her career. She furthered her education at Jacksonville University. In 2022, she graduated and received a BFA with a concentration in ceramics. Since graduating, Kylie has had the opportunity to teach at multiple studios across southern Maine. See her work on Instagram and on her website.