Hot take: I was shaping a goblet stem wrong until I watched a bee land on a flower

I was always trying to keep the glass super hot and stretch it fast for those thin, elegant stems. Last week, I was taking a break outside my studio and saw a bee land on a lavender stalk. The stalk bent slowly, then sprung back. It hit me that I was forcing the glass instead of letting it move. The next day, I tried a slower, more patient pull, letting the heat do the work for about 30 seconds longer than usual. The stem came out way more even and strong. Has anyone else had a moment where watching something totally unrelated fixed a technique for you?

3 comments

3 Comments

jadep413mo ago

Yeah, that's a great point about letting the heat work. I used to rush my pulls too and got weak spots. Now I count to thirty in my head after the glass looks ready, just letting it settle. That extra soak time makes the whole mass more even before you even start to move it.

kellyr181mo ago

That 30 second soak is key. I started doing a slow count after my first few stems came out looking like spaghetti. Way less breakage now.

jamierodriguez3mo ago

My old pottery teacher always said to watch how water moves. I finally got my glaze to flow right after staring at a creek for an hour.