Maria Loram – Special Effect Glazes: An Introduction

Ever wanted to make special effect glazes like Lava, Puff, Merallic, Crawl, Gloop or Crackle?

Join us for a one-hour creative reset for potters who want their surfaces to do more.

Most glaze education focuses on control, consistency, and “getting it right.”… This workshop does the opposite.

Special Effect Glazes: An Introduction is a fast-paced, visually rich overview of glazes that embrace texture, irregularity, and surprise – the kinds of surfaces that feel alive, sculptural, and a little bit wild.

Led by Maria Loram, this one-hour session opens the door to glaze effects that go far beyond glossy and matte, helping you see so-called “flaws” as creative tools.

What this workshop is really about

This isn’t a technical, step-by-step glaze recipe class… It’s about expanding your surface vocabulary.

You’ll explore how bubbling, crawling, cracking, blistering, and over-melting – effects many potters are taught to avoid – can become intentional, expressive, and concept-driven choices.

If you’ve ever looked at a fired piece and thought “This is wrong… but kind of amazing” – this workshop is for you.

Glaze families you’ll explore

Maria introduces several key categories of special-effect glazes, explaining what creates the effect, why it happens, and how artists use it intentionally.

Lava & Puff Glazes

Bubbly, cratered, marshmallow-like surfaces that push glaze into sculptural territory.

Crawl (Lichen) & Crackled Slips

Glazes that deliberately separate, bead up, and expose the clay body underneath – organic, earthy, and unpredictable in the best way.

Snowflake Crackle

Deep, dramatic crackle patterns with real visual and tactile depth.

Metallic Glazes

Bronze-like and luster surfaces created through high metal oxide content, with a raw, industrial feel.

Gloop / Egyptian Paste Glazes

Self-glazing, heavily melting surfaces that blur the line between glaze and clay – often supporting form as much as surface.

You’ll see how these effects behave, what conditions encourage them, and why artists choose them for certain forms and ideas.

What you’ll take away

By the end of the session, you’ll:

• See glaze “problems” through a completely different lens
• Understand the conditions that lead to dramatic surface effects
• Gain inspiration for new experiments in your own studio
• Feel more confident pushing glazes beyond safe, predictable outcomes
• Have a clearer sense of which effects align with your own aesthetic voice

This is about permission as much as technique – permission to test, push, and let surfaces misbehave on purpose.

Who this workshop is for

This workshop is ideal if you:

• Already understand basic glazing and firing
• Feel bored or boxed in by standard glaze results
• Love texture, tactility, and expressive surfaces
• Want fresh inspiration without committing to a long course
• Are curious about sculptural and experimental ceramics

You don’t need a specific kiln or clay body to benefit – the focus is on ideas, possibilities, and creative direction.

Format & access

• Length: 1 hour
• Format: Online workshop (watch at your own pace)
• Style: Visual, conceptual, and inspiration-driven
• Level: Intermediate and adventurous beginners

Why take this now

Safe glazing has its place.
But if everything you make feels predictable, your surfaces probably are too.

This workshop gives you new ways to think about glaze – not as a finish, but as an active, expressive part of the work.

If you’re ready to experiment, take risks, and let your surfaces speak louder, this is a powerful place to start.