Teen ceramist uses balloons to get unique paint patterns on his pottery

17-year-old Calder is an up-and-coming ceramist who showcases his techniques all over social media.

From bubble glazing to shaving foam, Calder employs all types of methods to create stunning and unique pieces. But it was his glaze explosion that caught the eye of a lot of people on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

Glaze explosion!!🤯😂😁🎉

A post shared by Calder (@calders_ceramics) on Feb 9, 2020 at 10:38am PST

First, Calder funnels blue glaze into a water balloon and inflates it with air. Then he holds the balloon above an unpainted ceramic bowl and gently pricks it. The balloon erupts in an artful splatter of blue paint into the interior of the bowl. The finished product is a bowl with a fun splash of color, achieved in an instant.

Ballons are commonly used by ceramists to create cool paint effects. They can also be used to efficiently glaze the outside of an object while preventing fingerprints and marks on the final product.

Whether you’re a potter or not, watching ceramic techniques can be a relaxing escape. Calder’s following certainly doesn’t mind expressing its appreciation for his tutorials on Instagram.

“You have the most interesting and unique methods! I love it!” one person said.

“Thank you so much. Because of your videos, you are like a teacher for me,” one user commented.

“How come, Calder, that you get to have all the fun???? I’m very jealous of you, Chap. You have awesome fun and you make great videos!” another wrote.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like to check out this artist that uses science to create gravity paintings.