Let’s talk about my first experience with glazing pottery. Picture this: I’m standing there with all these huge buckets of glaze, expecting them to be the color of the rainbow. Imagine my shock when the glaze colors were nothing like the finished product. Seriously, who knew that the muddy gray blob would turn into a vibrant green?

As I dipped my pot into the glaze bucket, I quickly realized that this was going to be messier than I expected. But honestly, that’s probably my fault. I might have gotten a bit too enthusiastic with my technique. By the time I was halfway through, I had more glaze on my hands and apron than on the actual pottery.

The excitement didn’t stop there. I found myself getting way too eager, touching things before they had a chance to dry. Spoiler alert: this is a terrible idea. I’d carefully apply the glaze, and then, boom! I’d smudge it because I couldn’t wait to see how it felt. Patience is apparently not my strong suit.

Praying to the kiln gods that these pieces turn out okay. I carefully loaded my smudged, yet beautifully messy creations into the kiln, sending up a silent prayer that they emerge looking fabulous. Fingers crossed that they don’t crack, bubble, or come out in a totally different color.

In the end, despite the mess and my impatience, there’s something incredibly satisfying about the whole process. Even if my first attempts aren’t perfect, I’m learning, and that’s the fun part. So here’s to more messy adventures and hoping the kiln gods are on my side!

Now, let’s look at the mess I made: