FINALLY… it’s been a longer road than initially anticipated.  What began as an assortment of ideas slowly transformed into this finished collection, which feels a bit surreal. At the final stage of the journey, I’m grateful for everything the process taught me along the way. The process of making a collection is distinctly different from making one-off pieces for the sake of making pottery, and this experience gave me a whole new appreciation for artists who work in productio

Mug of the Month Progress Update: Coming up with the design of the Winter Sleigh ride was the easy part, bringing it to life has brought out multiple different challenges. Challenges: Timing: Timing is everything with this design, wait a day too late and the walls of the mug are too dry to attach the handle too without forming cracks. Attaching the handles involves a lot of slip and that added moisture to the sides of a mug that’s too dry usually ends with cracks forming. o

"Over the past several decades working in my own pottery studio, I’ve had the privilege of making what I wanted, when I wanted. My day job as an elementary teacher allowed my clay time to become an escape from the demands of others, a quiet space where I could follow my own curiosity and create what made me happy. As an artist, I moved through various phases, making certain types or styles of pieces until I felt ready to explore something new. I never worried about what might

December Mug of the Month: Staci Wolfe Finding Beauty in Nature December Mug of the Month artist lives in Plum, PA now, but her roots run deep in rural Pennsylvania farmland, where she grew up close to her grandparents. Staci's introduction to art came from one of the most influential people in her life, her grandmother, Jean Wolfe . Jean is an artist whose world is shaped by nature. Whether painting wildlife in oils, carving leather, antler, bone, or wood, she has always cre

November Mug of the Month: Shelly Dobi Each month, our Mug of the Month artists invite us into their studio process, successes, challenges, test tiles, experiments, and that moment when everything finally clicks . For November, Guild member Shelly Dobi shares a reflective journey that mirrors the quiet, shifting colors of the season. For this month’s design, Shelly began with a simple, clean mug form. Intentionally minimal so the surface itself could tell the full story. But

UPDATE: MUG FINAL PRESENTATION WILL OCCUR WHEN ARIST HAS COMPLETED ALL WORK READY FOR DISTRIBUTION Stretching as an Artist One of the core goals of participating in Mug of the Month is to stretch ourselves as artists, and for me, that goal has become even more meaningful than finishing the mugs themselves. I’d been in a bit of an artistic rut lately with no clear direction in my studio practice and no concrete goals to work toward. Inspiration for inspiration’s sake just wa

November Mug of the Month: Shelly Dobi Finding Her Way Back to Clay Every potter has a moment when clay first captures them that quiet click when everything just feels right. For November’s Mug of the Month , we’re thrilled to share the story of Shelly Dobi , a longtime educator, artist, and Guild member whose journey with clay has been one of perseverance, passion, and coming full circle. “I was in college at Slippery Rock, working toward my elementary education degree,” She

UPDATE: MUG DESIGNS AND FINAL PRESENTATION WILL OCCUR WHEN READY FOR PUBLICATION PennOhio Clay Guild’s October Mug of the Month: Jennifer Bean-- Finding Connection Through Clay This month will feature artist Jennifer Bean , cofounder and current co-chair of the PennOhio Clay Guild . Jen’s journey with clay spans three decades, and is a path shaped by curiosity, craftsmanship, and a deep love for learning. Her adventure has spanned through studios and classrooms across the c

UPDATE: MUG DESIGNS AND FINAL PRESENTATION WILL OCCUR WHEN READY FOR PUBLICATION PennOhio Clay Guild’s September Mug of the Month: Septimus Bean’s Duality in Clay When we first developed the idea for the Mug of the Month Project , it started simply—two potters, Marisa and I, sitting at a table, conversing over methods to better engage our members, celebrate their work and provide a channel directing revenue to artists. We wanted to create an opportunity to have guaranteed

The August Mug of the Month, is the final body of work made by artist and educator Sarah McGonigle, who spent the summer reconnecting...

Each mug in Sarah McGonigle’s series begins its life on the pottery wheel, where she throws the forms with care and intention. After...

Sarah McGonigle is a 26-year-old artist, photographer, and educator preparing to begin a Masters of Science in International Education at...

We’ve reached the end of the trail — though at times, it felt more like the end of a trial . Today, the mugs came out of the kiln, and...

"On the path toward creating the limited edition mugs for July it seemed like a fairly straightforward design and production process."...

After 45 years as a rural family physician, Frank Parker has learned to appreciate the quiet, steady rhythm of clay. His journey into...

Final Reflections – June’s Mug of the Month When I say the process of designing and creating the June Mug of the Month was a challenge, I...

I agreed to participate in the Mug of the Month series because I saw it as a chance to push myself—to go deeper into my own creative...

Like many artists, my creative path has wandered through many mediums over the years—painting, crochet, carving punk (shelf fungi),...

After weeks of testing, designing, testing, building—and then testing some more—artist Eleanor Earnhart has officially completed her mugs...

Things are moving right along in the studio for Eleanor Earnhart, our May Mug of the Month artist. All of her mugs are now built and...