Johanna DeMaine was born in Rotterdam, Holland. Initially a secondary school teacher, she started attending pottery classes in 1971. After travelling through South East Asia in 1973, and studying Art and Design in the UK, she established the DeMaine Pottery and Studio Gallery in Calliope, Qld, with her husband Ted in 1975 . She held her first solo exhibition in 1979. In 1981 she moved the pottery and gallery to Landsborough, Qld, on the Sunshine Coast, close to the Glasshouse Mountains. Her work is represented in public art galleries, museums and government collections in Australia and overseas.In 2001, she was awarded a Churchill fellowship for research into the use of intensive decoration and lustre on porcelain and ceramics and the health and safety issues encountered. Her latest works are inspired by Gustav Klimt. Many layers are built up with resist and lustre. Most pieces are refired between 10 and 15 times to build up surface colour and light reflection. She signs her work with an impressed 'JDM' or an incised 'Johanna' and also uses the fleur-de-lis as an emblem. Production line items are stamped 'DeMaine Pottery'.