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

See, it’s not all sugar & cookies over here!!!

Categories: bowls, surface decoration

And for now, they’re all decorated & under plastic…
waiting to be trimmed tomorrow!

Categories: surface decoration
Categories: bowls, stamped, surface decoration

Sure… I coulda left my altered class demo bowls as they were after class.
But you know me… MORE IS MORE!!!
So I might have just done a bit of stamping & decorating up in my studio since class!!!

Categories: challenge, classes, handbuilding, throwdown

Well, it’s cold & flu season… so last night in my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class, the handbuilding challenge was a decorative Kleenex box cover! Many of my students are “not” handbuilders, so this pushed them out of their comfort zones… that and the time constraints. I also brought in my collection of textured handrollers from MKM Pottery Tools in case they wanted to try them. With just 90 minutes for this task, there were some great learning moments, some frustrated re-starts & eventually some great box covers! Well done team!!!

Categories: weather

Another wintery morning with more snow on the way. We already have beautiful “icy fringe” hanging on my back porch!!!

Categories: platters, stamped, surface decoration

A plain platter suddenly stamped & textured.
All with one of my handmade clay stamps…
pressed in one by one… by one… by one…

Categories: bowls, classes, wheelthrowing

Well, here’s Part Two of last night’s class demo with my Beginners. It was time to start encouraging them to “play” with their clay more. To alter, stretch, bend, color & decorate more! So I shared some quick tricks & techniques for them to do to their own pots… just hoping they try a couple of them!!!

And here they are… one by one…

Categories: bowls, classes

And then THIS happened!!! While my students were practicing making their bowls, I quickly threw a few more… getting ready for Part Two of my demo. When we start altering, decorating & playing with our clay more!

Categories: bowls, classes

Last night’s class demo for my Beginners started like this!
Showing them how to throw “a bowl on purpose… and not a cylinder gone bad.”