There is no greater feeling than an “Aha!” moment after countless, excruciating hours of seemingly fruitless planning, whether in studio or out. That scrap paper mountain of discarded sketches just seems worth it after striking gold with one good idea. Not only is it incredibly gratifying, but it also provides a rush of energy to embark on projects with passion, fervor, and dedication, encouraging us to take them to their final stage of completion even when we might feel like it the least. Maybe that “Eureka!” is even a breakthrough in regards to a direction in your career. Whatever the context, it is surely one of the best parts of the creating process.

And this week I had a little “Eureka!” moment myself. I decided to use the sculpture I made as a test for a new glaze combination (shocker, I know). I, as per usual, was hoping for a particular result, but got something quite different. Instead of a metallic, rusty red, I got more contrasting blues against red, possibly due in part by my uneven application of glaze. Check it out!

I also retried a glaze combination I used last semester which, on first attempt, fell flat. Instead of applying a light layer of glaze, I nearly doubled the amount of each glaze I chose to spray, and got much more of the effect I was going for.

I’m still surprised when even subtle changes in layers of glaze make some very dramatic changes on the surfaces of ceramic sculptures and vessels. These slight variations make the medium so dynamic and is part of the reason I have fallen in love with it so much. You never quite know what you’re gonna get!