Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery » art fair

Fresh From The Kiln

Gary — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:27:24 +0000

With the summer art fair season closing in quickly, it’s always important to try
to introduce something new to the assortment. My “groupies” always ask the question…
“So what’s new this year?!”

Luckily, this year, I have a couple new things “fresh” out of the kiln… and ready to go!
With a limited quantity coming to my first two shows… Schaumburg & Hinsdale.
Okay, fresh out of my last soda kiln anyway… finally got around to posting the photos.

Creamer & Sugar Sets… slightly squared, fully stamped, completely functional.

And these… still looking for a clever name… any suggestions?!
They’re lidded jars with two separate sections in one pot.
Salt & Pepper pots?! Ketchup & Mustard? Who knows?… two of something?!

I must admit, they’re inspired by Julia Galloway and the workshop that I took with her
a few months ago. She makes a smaller version that she’s made (and I’ve loved) for years.
I thought it was worth a try… to use her inspiration, and give it a little twist of my own!

So we’ll see how these go over at the first two shows. Like I said, there’s limited quantities!
Especially as these were pretty much the “prototype” batch for each of them.

Sticky Business

Gary — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:03:00 +0000

I’m a little over half way through stamping & labeling my show postcards…
and still have hundreds to go! sheesh…

On an “up” note, ya’ gotta love the Hawaiian shirt postage stamps, huh???

Lots Of Pots… and Lots of Fun !!!

Gary — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:03:03 +0000

I had a wonderful time up in Minnesota this weekend surrounded by thousands
of incredible pots… and the talented artists who made them! So much fun touring
the St. Croix River Valley area with old friends & making new ones…
and buying a few beautiful pots along the way!!!

Minnesota Pottery Tour : Day Three

Gary — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:37:43 +0000

Always excited to start my day off with waffles & peanut butter… again!
Plus a nice discussion with potter George Lowe, his wife, and then some potter
friends from Lillstreet. After a lot of “pottery-talk”, it was time to get going.
First up… back to Bob Briscoe’s studio.

Sundays are always slower, quieter and more relaxed on the Tour. Most of the
“real” shoppers & collectors come early on Friday. By the time Sunday rolls around,
there are a LOT fewer pots, and the artists are slowing down. It’s been a long weekend
for them too. Lucky for us, we had plenty of time to talk with Matt Metz, Suze Lindsay,
Kent McLaughlin and Bob Briscoe. After a couple hours, it was time to say our goodbyes
and move on to our last stop.

Back at Guillermo’s location, we stopped by to chat with Delores Fortuna & Roberta
Polfus. It was a lot quieter there too… so they had some time to sit and talk with us.
While we were sitting chatting, Clary Illian stopped by to join our conversation.
Nice to talk to a ceramic “legend”… but all too soon it was time to get back on the road
for the long drive home.

All in all, another successful Pottery Tour. So much fun to be surrounded by so much
fine ceramic work. And have access to so many talented potters so you can chat and
get to know them. It’s also encouraging to see so many people coming out for the Tour
to encourage & support the arts. And to buy some pots!!!

So, mark your calendars for next year’s St. Croix RIver Valley Pottery Tour.
It’s always the Friday, Saturday & Sunday of Mother’s Day Weekend.
Luckily, my Mom understands and we celebrate a week early so I can go to the Tour!

Minnesota Pottery Tour : Day Two

Gary — Sun, 13 May 2012 03:14:19 +0000

Today we got up early for breakfast in the hotel…
Belgian waffles with peanut butter & syrup!!!

Our first stop was down in Minneapolis. Amy needed to buy her
“year’s supply” of clay… and I needed some new clues that I really don’t “need.”
After packing up the car, we went over to the Northern Clay Center. We looked
through the gallery which is full of beautiful pots. Some of them actually from the
potters who are on the Tour. While looking in the gallery, Emily Murphy stopped by
for a visit and lunch. So great to get caught up with her… and some great Thai food!

While wandering through the studio spaces at Northern Clay, we ran across pots
by Kip O’Krongly. Remember back to “the tumbler that got away” blog post?!
Click HERE for a reminder recap. Anyway… she makes these really great terra cotta
pieces with imagery of farm equipment, wind turbines and bicycles!!! Yes, bikes!!!
Without question, I needed them. Last year I was hoping to get bike tumblers…
but this year she had bike plates!!! So I go two. Plus, she’s adorable to boot!!!

Then it was back to the Tour. We stopped by a few of the Tour Studios, as well as
a side trip to see The Rogue Potters. They’re not “officially” part of the Tour, but they
have set up their signs on the road and filled a house with pots. They’ve been there
for a couple years, right off Route 95. It’s a collective of ceramic artists all making
beautiful pots that are quite affordable! Including my new plate…

Then it was back to Richard Vincent’s place for more… more pots, more chatting
with the potters. Then back to Will Swanson’s place for more. It’s always amazing
to see how the quantity of pots has decreased so drastically by the end of Day Two.
Many of the shelves were empty, or even taken down in some cases. Shop early!!!

Then it was almost 6:00pm… so our Tour Day Two had come to an end!

Minnesota Pottery Tour : Day One

Gary — Sat, 12 May 2012 01:21:31 +0000

It was a very long drive. Luckily, it’s pretty much a straight shot to Minneapolis!
I got into town fairly early, so I swung past my cousin’s place in White Bear Lake
to drop off some “surprise presents” on their front porch! Remember back to
“the incident” and the projects the kids were working on? Well, I finished them off
for the kids, glazed ‘em & fired ‘em. So I dropped off their planters… plus my
demo planter with a colorful arrangement of succulent plants.

Then I drove further on towards Bob Briscoe’s studio – always the first stop in my
annual Pottery Tour. I got there a bit early so I squeezed in a few moments of shut-eye.
The tour “officially” starts at 10:00am, but who am I to play by the rules when others
were getting a head-start?! So I began my Tour fun about 9:45am!!!

Straight to the Matt Metz collection… of course, I needed to add to my Metz collection!
I quickly snatched up to adorable lidded jars. Then headed on to see more…

After setting down my new Matt Metz jars on the “hold” shelves, I was quickly greeted
by Suze Lindsay with a hug and a great discussion. It was still early in the morning and
the hoarding masses hadn’t arrived yet, so she was free to chat for awhile. My friend
Amy arrived and we continued our shopping. As we were admiring, shopping, resisting
and being inspired, Amy’s friend Debbie showed up to join our adventure. Before we left
Bob’s place, I did snatch up a new Suze Lindsay tumbler!

After a long visit at Bob Briscoe’s we finally moved on towards Connee Mayeron’s
studio which is not the closest one… but it is the studio with two of the artists that
Amy was anxious to see… and shop! There we found Jenny Mendes and the work
of Shoko Teruyama. Both make these insanely detailed & meticulous pieces with
incredible illustrations. While Amy & Debbie were fawning over their work, I was
quickly distracted by the s’mores at the campfire!

We then moved on just south to Guillermo Cuellar’s studio. Hundreds of pots scattered
all over the tables around his yard. Our friend Delores Fortuna shows her work here,
and her Tour assistant Roberta Polfus was there to play with us for awhile! While there,
the beautiful blue skies clouded over, the temperature dropped and the winds picked up…
it felt like a storm might be rolling in.

We made a quick stop off for a picnic lunch overlooking the river. Unfortunately, it was
getting chilly… and the picnic table only had one side?! So we didn’t linger too long…
and we had more studios to see!

Moving along the Tour, we went to Will Swanson’s place – which had expanded from last year.
More big tents in the backyard gave more room for more great pots. Tom Turner was one
of the “new” potters on the Tour. He’s been making pots for a long time, and has created
some wonderful crystalline glazes. I was lucky to snatch up a small tumbler to add to my
mug collection… okay, not quite a mug, but close enough!

We did a quick stop at the studio of Jeff Oestreich, and saw some pieces by Josh DeWeese.
I had taken a workshop with him years ago, and it was great to see a collection of his work.

Next we went to Linda Christianson’s studio. A beautiful, wooded area with plenty of
trillium blooming and a beautiful pile of wood next to the kiln shed. While there, we
also met Michael Hunt & Naomi Dalglish on the Tour. It’s a husband & wife working
together to create their pieces. Apparently, Naomi went to Earlham College with my potter
friend Emily Murphy. So I just “needed” to pick up a couple plates…

Moving on, we went to Richard Vincent’s studio for some more great pots… and some
quality time playing with & making fun of my potter friend Steven Hill. I’ve known
Steven for a few years during his time here in Illinois. He has since moved back to
Missouri… and still not made my set of dinnerware?! It’s only been a few years…
but I’m still waiting… and not letting him off the hook!

By this time… it was already past 6:00pm. So officially they were closed!
Begrudgingly, we finished up and headed back to the hotel.
Day One almost done.

Gotta get some sleep tonight – as tomorrow is going to be another busy day!

Minnesota Here I Come

Gary — Fri, 11 May 2012 03:13:03 +0000

Headed out for the St. Croix River Valley Pottery Tour… under cover of darkness!
I’ll be driving up overnight so I can make it there for the kick-off at Bob Briscoe’s studio.
Then it’s on to the rest of the locations. A full weekend of pottery, shopping,
schmoozing and hanging out with friends!

For more information on the tour, click here… Minnesota Pottery Tour.

My 2012 Summer Art Fair Schedule

Gary — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:16:23 +0000

Hard to believe that the summer art fair season is coming so quickly.
Luckily, I feel good knowing that I have a great inventory of beautiful pots…
including my latest soda kiln that still needs to be added into the mix!

So here’s my upcoming art fair schedule… mark your calendars now.
I can’t wait to see you at some point over the Summer!

Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, May 26th, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, May 27th, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center
201 Schaumburg Court in Schaumburg, Illinois

Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, June 9th, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, June 10th, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Burlington Park on Chicago Avenue between Washington & Garfield Streets
in Hinsdale, Illinois

Evanston Lakeshore Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, August 4th, 2012 – 11:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, August 5th, 2012 – 11:00am-6:00pm
Located in Dawes Park along beautiful Lake Michigan
on Sheridan Road between Church & Davis in Evanston, Illinois

Okay, we’ll go a little further – and cross out of Summer and into Fall…

Art In The Barn
Saturday, September 22nd, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, September 23rd, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Located on the grounds (and in the barns) of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
on Route 22 in Barrington, Illinois – Lower Barn E4 & E6

Art Detour… in the beautiful Wisconsin Northwoods!
Friday, October 5th, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Saturday, October 6th, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, October 7th, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Featuring artists: Amy Higgason, Sarah Chapman, Kathy Furda, Wendy Powalisz & me!
Beautiful fall colors, handmade art and gourmet s’mores to top it all off!
Located on the grounds of Pigeon Road Pottery… also Amy’s home!
7744 Pigeon Road, Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin 54539
www.facebook.com/artdetourwisconsin

“My Home For The Holidays” Home Show
Saturday, November 17th, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, November 18th, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Contact me for invitations & more information…

“Mud & Metal” : Another Holiday Home Show
A collaborative holiday show with master metalsmith Sarah Chapman.
Saturday, December 15th, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm – DATE PENDING
Contact me for invitations & more information.

Just One Month Away…

Gary — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 02:51:48 +0000

Well, the official kick-off to my Summer Art Fair season is just one month away!
It’s confirmed – I’ve been accepted to all of the shows I applied to again this year.
So I’m trying to crank out as much new work as possible between now & then.
Mark your calendar now to come out and see what I’ve been working on!
And don’t forget… you can always follow the progress on Facebook too!
Click here for my pottery page… Fire When Ready Pottery on Facebook.

Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, May 26th, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, May 27th, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center, 201 Schaumburg Court in Schaumburg, Illinois

Art Detour… in the beautiful Wisconsin Northwoods!
Friday, October 5th, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Saturday, October 6th, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, October 7th, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Featuring artists: Amy Higgason, Sarah Chapman, Kathy Furda, Wendy Powalisz & me!
Beautiful fall colors, handmade art and gourmet s’mores to top it all off!
Located on the grounds of Pigeon Road Pottery… also Amy’s home!
7744 Pigeon Road, Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin 54539
www.facebook.com/artdetourwisconsin

“My Home For The Holidays” Home Show
Saturday, November 17th, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, November 18th, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Contact me for invitations & more information…

ART DETOUR LITE : Amy Higgason in Chicago

Gary — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:56:01 +0000

Mark your calendar for this Friday night!
As my friend & potter Amy Higgason is “returning to her roots” back at Lillstreet
for a special one-night Trunk Show. She’ll be setting up her beautiful pottery in my
studio space. It’s been over eight years since Amy moved up to the Wisconsin Northwoods.
So it will be a great chance to stop by and see Amy and her work while she’s in town.
As you may recall, the last time I got to play with Amy is when I went up to the Northwoods
for ART DETOUR last Fall. Since she’s coming down to Chicago for a smaller show,
I’m jokingly referring to it as ART DETOUR LITE.

Amy Higgason Trunk Show – Friday, March 2nd from 5:00-9:00pm.
Lillstreet Studio 205 West – on the second floor of Lillstreet Art Center.