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

Which really means one more “bonus” day to work on my tax return!
Now if we could just be “emancipated” from all this snowy-slushy weather too?!!!

Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, textures, vases

After yesterday’s one-day stint of Spring, today we’ve plunged back into cold grayness. Nothing some flowers & textured vases can’t warm up!

Categories: holiday

It’s FRIDAY THE 13th… beware if you care!

Categories: bike, sunrise

Calm & serene with low flying clouds on the horizon delayed the morning sunrise. Not the most spectacular view and a bit breezy, but it sure did feel great to be out on my bike with a hint of Spring weather on the way. .. finally?

Categories: porcelain, process, textures

So I’ve had this porcelain platter under plastic for quite some time now…
pretty much back to the “Sgraffito Surprise Challenge” for my Throwdown Class.
I threw the platter shortly after that and added a layer of black slip. Unfortunately, once it was under plastic wrap, the urgency seemed to dissipate as well. Sure, I had to spray it a couple times… but it all seems good. So I trimmed it last night and started to decorate it with some sgraffito carving.

I started with a “template” leaf shape I cut out of a Post-it Note…
that’s the first thing I found! So I traced it into the black slip with a wire needle tool.

The first cut is always the toughest!
It’s tough to COMMIT… once you start, there’s no way to turn back!

And I love using me DiamondCore Tools – especially this V-tip Carving Tool – my fave!!!
Clean, crisp, lines that carve out SO smoothly. Like buttah!

Once I had carved out the first round of petals, I started freehanding some more curves.

And then I decided to do some “shading” with some straight lines in some of the sections.

I sort of love how the trimmings just lay there… twisting, turning, scattering.
So much fun to simply blow off to remove!

Then I switched to the DiamondCore square-tip carver to clean out a few sections to make them smooth & white.

After seeing them smooth, I decided I like the texture better. So I went back in after cleaning them with my DiamondCore V-tip tool to add some more texture lines in the white sections.

Almost there… lots of trimmings piling up!!! I love a good work in progress shot!

But then I thought that there were a couple too many fully black sections. And yet I knew I didn’t want to change them to white or “fray” as they would contrast with the sections next to them. So I decided to add a few white dots… what wetter way than a quick turn of a drill bit?!

And there it is… “done” for the evening and now back under plastic.
Of course, forcing yourself to stop sgraffito-ing is sometimes the hardest part.
So I “think” I’m done… but I may need to do a few more refinements when I get back in?!

And now

Categories: kiln firing, lillstreet

Well, the soda kiln has been re-built at Lillstreet. So excited to get it back in action with a first “christening” classroom firing this weekend. Always fun to see the “clean” bricks become soda-glazed after that first firing. Huge thanks to everyone who did the work to make this kiln re-build a swift reality!

Categories: Chicago, seasons, weather

Enough snow today that even the Chicago Cubs Home Opening Day had to be postponed until tomorrow! Sure, it may be a bit warmer & drier for everyone… but I was kinda looking forward to watching players literally SLIDING into Home Plate… and continue sliding into a snow bank! C’mon, this coulda been hysterically fun to watch!!!

Categories: Chicago, seasons, weather

Really?… again? Another snowy Spring day in Chicago…
at least it made for a serene morning in Wicker Park.

Categories: bike, Chicago

Great day at one of my “favorite” places… even better, spending someone else’s money!
Yep, Tracy bought a NEW Trek bike at Village Cycle Center today!!! WHOO-HOO!!!

Save

Save

Categories: art fair, friends, pottery

It was a fun weekend at the PRAIRIE VIEW ARTS INVITATIONAL in Naperville. A good show to kick-off my art fair season. Great to meet some new folks out there… and to show off some new pots! Huge thanks to the organizers who put together such a smoothly run show with all the perks!!!

They did such a great job from loading us in & loading us out…
yes, THEY transported all of my shelves & pots from & to my car for me!!! What?!!! No kidding. Not to mention all of the food and fun a along the way. Friday night they had dinner for us during set-up, a free public champagne reception, live music and a Taco Truck!

And then on Saturday, they offered us breakfast & lunch, as well as a never-ending, bottomless soup bar!!! Over fifteen handmade soups for a small donation to the Youth Group. Also great to “wash it all down” with some sweet snacks from Katherine Anne Confections!!!

Not to mention that they set my booth space right across from my metalsmith buddy Amy Taylor! Even better to spend the weekend playing with her and looking at all of her sparkling beauties!

And my new favorite of hers… a groovy necklace with a miniature glass Coca-Cola bottle
and an amazing old-school handmade pull tab on the chain!

And oh, but wait there’s more… did I mention that the PRAIRIE VIEW organizers even offered up overnight Home Stays for the artists! So I drove four minutes from the art fair to my Home Stay for a great overnight… and then four minutes back the next morning. So much better than driving all the way back to & from Chicago each time. Thank you Ann & Bob. And as an added BONUS!!!… I also got to sleep with my new best furry friend Jake!!!

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save