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

It looked like it was just going to be gray & gloomy this morning… so I skipped my morning ride and went into the studio instead. But then THIS happened!!! A beautiful urban sunrise from the roof of Lillstreet Art Center!

Categories: collaborations, glaze, tiles

And while Cory has bugs everywhere…
I’m “buggin’ out” while glazing hundreds of textured tiles for our collaboration project!!!
Gotta keep glazing & get them into a kiln quick!!!

Categories: collaborations, handbuilding

Looks like Cory has a full-on infestation happening!!!

Categories: flowers, ikebana

A simple statement. A single dahlia. The simplest arrangement with just one bloom in a handmade ikebana vase. Stamped & soda-fired… and coming to ART IN THE GARDEN next weekend!

And yes, I grew it in my yard!!!

Categories: bike, sunrise

Another splashin’-fun sunrise!!! It started with some beautiful pastel clouds wisping cross the sky… but even more exciting with the addition of waves crashing all around. I especially love when the crashing waves get “illuminated” by the sunrise. Sometimes timing is everything!

Categories: art fair, artists, collaborations, handbuilding

For those of you wondering how Cory McCrory makes such amazing bugs… here are some great “process” shots from her studio! She works with paper clay which helps with keeping the clay “workable” a bit longer. And then it’s a lot of parts & pieces… body parts, wings, antennae, legs & so much more!!! And a lot of scoring & slipping!!!

Be sure to come to ART IN THE GARDEN next weekend to see these amazing bugs in person!!! Saturday, September 6th & Sunday, September 7th in Glenview, Illinois.

Categories: flowers, nature

Continuing on a theme… a sweet moment after this morning’s rain.
A small butterfly getting a little snack from a shaggy pink flower blossom.

Categories: art fair, artists, collaborations

Looks like things are coming together in Cory McCrory’s studio! Every year we do a fun collaboration project for ART IN THE GARDEN. This year we’re working on ten different pieces… each a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!!! And yet I’m sensing a theme…

ART IN THE GARDEN is just over a week away in Glenview… so we gotta get goin’!!!

Categories: collaborations, process, production

Playing with power tools! These boards aren’t gonna finish themselves!!!
Which means I need to keep working on these collaboration projects!!!
We’re a little over a week away from having it all come together… fingers crossed.

Categories: process, production, tiles

Roll, glue, stick, flip, press, repeat. Just adding a bit of wadding to every textured tile for my soda firing this weekend. They might look white now, but they’ve all got some colored flashing slips on them. So if all goes well, they should change to a range of oranges & yellows!!!