Pottering Around with John & Tessie Pettyjohn

The creativity or sensibility of any artist of consequence manifests itself in his surroundings, consciously or unconsciously. Artists tend to defy conventions and their originality is peppered with dashes of uniqueness and charm.

My admiration for the splendid handiworks of the Jon Pettyjohns through their line of pottery tickled my nosiness to find out what their domestic environment might be like. Audaciously, I went to their school-cum-studio at the Madrigal Art Center, first to inquire about requirements should I join their pottery classes. Secondly, after being introduced to him and his wife Tessie, I requested if they would kindly allow me to visit and photograph their Pansol residence not only for my own consumption but for the avid readers of Talking Design as well. To this they acceded considerately.

The unhurried ride to the town of Los Baños took only an hour. And with the lush greenery, nature’s gift to humanity, on either side of the South Diversion Road, I became oblivious of the pollution in our country if only for a while. Faithfully following directions as sketched by the artist, we found their private place with no difficulty. As she had warned, two iron gate posts, ornately topped by a non-matching pair of curiously shaped urns, usher guests to their private realm.

An initial glance at the residence reveals the duo’s avid love for wood in its original state. Save for the ceilings, the floors, walls, sliding doors and windows – all made of wood – are left unpainted, not even stained. And I suspect they’re even free from any coat of varnish. Linseed oil, I am sure, is the only preservative touching the rich wood seen all over the place. Rattan and bamboo are two indigenous materials making it to the Pettyjohn scene. Bamboo sawali was used in wall paneling as well as panes in some fragile sliding doors. Rattan went into the making of some arm and dining chairs and coffee tables, too.

Far from the madding crowd, the barrio-like atmosphere of the place must have inspired the couple to furnish their home in a laid-back fashion. A look-see of the household immediately reveals the nonchalant informality strikingly displayed all over. Being child-friendly is what precisely describes the style Jon and Tessie employed in fixing their home.

As we all know, every artist makes his home his laboratory. He peruses closely the design quality and virtue of his creations while displayed and juxtaposed among other things via vignettes and compositions.

The place of Tessie and Jon overflows with their own potteries alongside huge inventories of other masterpieces done by their rivals and friendly contemporaries. We saw a contrasting variety featuring works from as far as Africa, Japan, Holland and, of course, China. Those of Ugo Bigyan and Jaime de Guzman were around, too.

Jon and Tessie overtly display their loyalty for their fellow artists and friends. One very arresting piece of furniture in their dining area is a handsome table created by artist Claude Tayag. Its one-piece table top in red mahogany romances beautifully the woody tones permeating the entire place. Jaime de Guzman, another fellow potter, has a beautiful seascape in oil hanging against a narra-veneered wall across the dining area. Further on the same wall hangs a feminine representation of cherries, a work by Norma Lao.

Being very busy people, it was forgivable that they completely forgot our Wednesday morning appointment with them. That being the case, there’s hardly any trace of "production" or elaborate preparations prior to our arrival. Shall we call it catching them with their pants down? That the house looks that way, 24 hours a day, is my unspoken conclusion. But I must declare I like what I see. No unnecessary curtains and just enough fresh flowers on a vase of their own creation on the dining table. With their tamed dog hovering while we photograph the place, it occurs to me that just like their work, nothing here screams, every single object exudes a quiet charm.

If the Jon Pettyjohn pieces carry with them a global appeal and feeling, it is traceable to the exposure the team was lucky to have. For one, Jon studied pottery and ceramics in Spain in a school called Escuela Masana. And for her part, the former Tessie San Juan is a product of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts. Through osmosis, the two have imbibed from each other all the nuances that now surface not only in their works but in their private environment as well.

Recently Jon, together with associates from Japan, put up a kiln using firewood instead of gas. They are now very excited over the improvement in the finish and texture of the first batch that was fired on the brand-new kiln. Whereas before they depended on glazing for color and texture, this new method does away with the glaze and I can tell you the pieces ooze with organic naturalness.

In a global age, the appeal of the couple’s handiworks is very much in tune with the trend of going back to the basics. There’s a revival of and a robust interest in anything that is old and natural. This is easily seen in interiors where old wood and other found and recycled objects are judiciously integrated and the rigidity of machine-made things such as glass and steel is softened. Old dulangs and bangkos from the Philippines have found their way into the most luxurious rooms in America and elsewhere. Thus, it is easy to imagine Jon Pettyjohn pottery, with its natural nuances, blending well with contemporary pieces or even rare antiquities.

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For questions and inquiries, write: xtnesp@hotmail.com.