October Mug of the Month Progress Update: Jen Bean

PennOhio Clay Guild
Nov 24
2 min read

Updated: Dec 1

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 wasn’t enough to get me consistently back to the wheel.

Whenever I was throwing, I felt completely at ease and genuinely happy to have my hands in the clay, but as October crept closer, I found myself increasingly nervous about whether I was ready for this challenge.

Reigniting the Connection

What I’ve discovered through this process is that the act of making these mugs has been exactly the catalyst I needed. This hasn’t just been about producing fifteen pieces. It’s been about taking a hard look at some habits in my throwing and making intentional adjustments. It’s pushed me to use tools I’ve owned for years but never maximized. It’s nudged me to test glazes with much more thought and curiosity than I had previously.

Every phase presented some kind of unexpected challenge and each one required me to stretch, adapt, and ultimately improve. I’m now more intentional in every step of my process, from centering the clay to adding that final coat of glaze.

Finding Joy Again

The best surprise has been that it’s fun. Truly fun. That feeling has pulled me back into the studio more frequently than I’ve been in months. Even when I had to scrap my original mug design and start completely over, the reset led me to something that feels more satisfying—and more authentically me.

These pieces are becoming a blend of the initial inspirations I had for this project, along with a small evolution of my own emerging style.

Looking Forward

I’m genuinely happy with the progress I’m making, but even more than that, I’m grateful for the renewed connection to clay and to the communal energy in the studio. The work isn’t finished yet, but the path ahead feels clearer, and I’m excited to keep going.

I’m looking forward to sharing the finished mugs with all of you soon.

~ Jen

Creating the body of the mug for carved surface design testing