All ceramists make clay test tiles. These are used to see if the clay is suitable for work and firing at the desired temperature. But these small clay tiles are also used to see if the glaze is good and suitable for that clay.
My stock of test tiles started to come to an end, so it was time to make new ones. Devising and making glaze tests is second nature for me. This is what makes ceramics so different from other art forms. A writer is not going to develop a PC before he starts writing.
But a ceramist, who makes his own work, cannot escape pre-testing. Can’t escape the technique of making. Can’t escape the laws of nature. Even the gods cannot escape from making clay test tiles…