Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: holiday

Christmas is now less than a week away… and I’m still trying to get ready!
I’m busy shopping, wrapping and trying to pull it all together. I’ve shipped out
the last of my “traveling gifts”… so now I need to focus on the ones I’ll be seeing
over the holiday weekend.

So I’ve been busy everywhere… everywhere except for the studio!
At this point, I can’t really throw new pots or fire another kiln before the holidays…
so I’ve got whatever I’ve got. And what I’ve really got?… a hankerin’ to get back to clay!
I’m looking forward to the New Year and getting back into production mode.
Which also means another round of new stamps, new slides, new art fairs applications,
new students in a new class… a whole lot of NEW for the New Year!!!

But until then… I’m all about the Christmas holiday.
Ho. Ho. Ho.

Categories: inspiration, nature, photography

Today I had a design meeting at Lincoln Park Zoo… crisp, clean & freezing cold.
After the meeting, I played at the Zoo – which was great fun as I pretty much had the place
to myself. No school tours. Very few people. Just me and the animals!

I’m a bit tired of the layer of crusty gray snow & frozen slush currently blanketing Chicago.
I know winter has just started, and we’re in for a few months of this fun… but when given
a chance for a little Tropical Escape… I’m in!!! So this afternoon I also spent some time at
the Lincoln Park Conservatory enjoying the warmth, humidity & natural beauty.
And incredible Tropical Escape… if even just for an hour or so…

Ahhh… I feel better already.

Categories: art fair, artists, friends, holiday

After spending an entire “Mud & Metal” day with Sarah yesterday at my place…
selling, chatting, schmoozing, replenishing, drinking grape soda and just plain hanging out…
we also celebrated Christmas with a little gift exchange. Merry Christmas to me!!!

I was excited when I opened my present from Sarah to find a new addition to my
“Chapman-wear Collection”! Another beautiful necklace made just for me! With a beautiful
orange stone that she had picked out just for me. And in typical Sarah Chapman style,
this one is also double-sided so I can wear it either way – silver or bronze!

I hope she liked her gift as much as I like mine?! A pair of stamped & soda-fired mugs
plus a special ornament I purchased during the One-Of-A-Kind Show. The ornament was
made by Brad & Sundie Ruppert of “Vintage Sculpture”. They make these really great
sculptures out of recycled materials – especially bottle caps! And after a little searching,
I found the perfect ornament to celebrate Christmas and our mutual “love & admiration”
for grape soda! And now we have matching ornaments too! Follow the connection?

A couple years ago, I purchased another wonderful piece of art from Brad & Sundie Ruppert.
It’s a wonderful piece made of wood, letter blocks, wire and bottle caps! And a wonderful
motto to live by. I love it… and it makes me smile every day! I was so excited to find them
again this year at One-Of-A-Kind… and to add a little more art to my Christmas tree…
and Sarah’s tree too! Merry Christmas to the both of us!

Categories: art fair, holiday

After a wonderful day yesterday at the “Mud & Metal” Holiday Home Show
I’d like to send out a very special thank you to everyone who came to my home yesterday!
I hope everyone had fun and scored some great holiday gifts.

The first couple hours were a little bit crazy with so many people pushing & shoving to get
the good stuff, the best bargains and first crack at the “Tired Of Shlepping Sale.” I hope
no one got hurt – and I’m sorry if I didn’t get a chance to chat with everyone! It was all
a little overwhelming… and exciting at the same time! As the day continued, things settled
down a bit and we had a great flow of people coming through all day.

Sarah and I both sold well and we would like to thank everyone who took time out
of their day to come see us. We hope everyone checked a few names off their holiday list.

Thank you for supporting local artists and shopping handmade this season.

Categories: art fair, inspiration

I love my customers. I love when they are inspired by my pottery.
There’s nothing better than seeing someone walking around touching, loving, caressing…
Feeling comfortable in my home. Enjoying the holiday festivities & décor.

But earlier today, I overheard one of my customers talking to her friend…
“Being here just makes my heart feel happy.”

Which in return made my heart feel happy too. Thank you.

Categories: art fair, artists, holiday

Well, I’ve been working all day trying to get everything back together for tomorrow’s
Holiday Home Show. It always surprises me how much time it takes to pull it all together.
The last home show was just weeks ago, and who knew that I would need to do so much work
getting ready to do it again? I guess that happens when you “live” in a pottery store!
Which is what my condo has felt like for the past month!

So everything is back together… and ready to go for tomorrow’s big sale!
Pottery in every room, bargains on the porch, snacks in the kitchen – great gifts for everyone!

Mud & Metal : A Holiday Collaboration
Saturday, December 11th from 10:00am-6:00pm

With metalsmith Sarah C. Chapman and knitter-crocheter Nancy Jana Kent.

If you need my home address to make it to the sale tomorrow, shoot me a quick e-mail
or call my cell phone for directions & details – (773) 307-8664.

So my place is all set, decked out and replenished for tomorrow’s show! I’ve made room
for Sarah & Nancy to display their pieces as well – including their own “shlepping” discounts!
I’ve even re-purposed some calla lilies & kangaroo paw for fresh floral color in the kitchen!

Okay… so I did “take a break” from setting up today to run up to Stirling Hall in Lake Forest
to see my friend Katie Biderbost who runs the art center up there. Tonight was the kick-off
night for their weekend holiday sale. Lots of fine pottery, paintings & jewelry! Sadly…
no discounted “Tired Of Shlepping Sale.” So here’s my suggestion… come to my place FIRST
and then go up to Stirling Hall, say hello to Katie when you get there and buy more art!

Categories: art fair, holiday, pottery

Still setting up for tomorrow’s big sale…
and I just realized that there are only six of my new wheelthrown Christmas ornaments left!
Yep, six… count ’em six! They’ve been a big hit this season… yeah me!

Categories: classes, holiday

So I’m unpacking new pieces for tomorrow’s Holiday Home Show.
And I just came across my two class-demo Menorahs from last session.
I’ve never made a Menorah. So that makes these one-of-a-… err, make that TWO-of-a-kind.
For more about The Menorah Challenge… go back to my original blog post from 11.2.10.

Unfortunately, I completely missed Chanukah by a day or two…
And is it somehow blasphemous to use birthday candles in a Menorah?…
even if it’s just for photography purposes. I’m such a Gentile. Oy vey…

Categories: art fair, artists

This coming Saturday is my second Holiday Home Show – this time it’s “Mud & Metal.”
A holiday collaboration with a couple of my talented friends. Metalsmith Sarah C. Chapman
and knitting & crocheting Nancy Jana-Kent. Both of them will be joining me at my place
this Saturday from 10:00-6:00pm. Luckily, I have tomorrow to finish replenishing the
shelves, gathering up some more “Tired of Shlepping” pieces to markdown, and make some
room for the guest artists to show their stuff too! Beautiful stuff like this…

Categories: nature

Many of you know by now that I have an odd fascination with roadkill.
I think it comes from my years of distance biking across the country and seeing
the wildlife all over. Both dead and alive. Many who didn’t quite make it across the road.
It’s the Circle of Life… and death.

But this one is different!
It’s not quite ROADkill… more like WINDOWkill?!

A friend of mine sent me this picture that he took at his workplace. Apparently a bird
flew into the plate glass window and left quite an impression!  Thanks Dave…