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

Driving the Pottery Tour… there’s another great “unofficial” spot along the way! Just north of the Taylor’s Falls area, a fun group of local potters have set themselves up with a bunch of sandwich board signs to draw the people in! THE ROGUE POTTERS are a fun bunch of potters… with one of the coolest wood-firing kilns around. I swear one strong breeze might take it down, even though Randal says he’s tightened it up a bit with some new steelwork. Still a great, well-used & well-loved kiln!

To see more about THE ROGUE POTTERShttp://www.roguepotters.com/

Categories: artists, food, holiday, platters, porcelain, surface decoration

I’ve been looking forward to this all day… Celebrating NATIONAL PI(e) DAY!!! March 14th… also known as 3.14… also know as Pi. A yummy piece of cherry pie on a beautiful handmade porcelain plate made by my friend & teaching assistant Susan Slogoff. All hand-painted with black underglaze as the perfect contrast to the white porcelain!!!

Categories: art fair, artists, pottery

It’s always exciting when the new poster arrives in the mail. Looks like we’re just about two months from the ST. CROIX VALLEY POTTERY TOUR! A wonderful pottery event that I drive up to Minnesota for every year… to do the full pottery tour with my friend Sarah, chat with the artists & shop for more pottery! I would LOVE to someday be one of the invited potters… but until then, I’ll continue to shop!!! Dare to dream, right???

Categories: artists, My Talented Friends

Okay… picture this! This is the amazing fused glass work by Robin Kittleson. Every polka dot is an individual cane of hand-pulled millefiori glass cut into small nuggets that are like a 1/4″ long. Some of the canes of glass have several layers of colors within them. Then they’re all stacked tightly together sidce-by-side, packing together different colors & making patterns. So many individual pieces of different diameters packed so tight that there are no gaps or spaces. There is no filler – just canes of glass. Once all filled & packed together, it is all slowly melted together in a kiln… and slumped over a mold to create the smooth platter shapes. Incredible process & beautiful results… and if you hold them up to the light so it shines through… BREATHTAKING!!!

Categories: artists, My Talented Friends

Next up… close-up details of the metal sculptural work of Darlys Ewoldt. All handmade, all fabricated from flat sheets of metal. “Somehow” formed by hand to make these amazing… I don’t really understand how any of this is done. It’s all metasmithing magic to me. But the forms are amazing… and the patina’d colors even cooler! All of these sculptures can be seen at the “4×4 : FOUR MAKERS” gallery show in Evanston!

Categories: artists, collaborations, My Talented Friends

Crazy cool close-up details of Sarah Chapman’s contributions to the Four Seasons collaboration project. Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter… interpreted through metal, stones, gems & patina colors! Amazing work for the “4×4 : FOUR MAKERS” gallery show! Today is the final day… c’mon by 12:00noon-4:00pm.

SPRING

SUMMER

FALL

WINTER

Categories: art fair, artists, collaborations, seasons

Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter. As seen through the eyes of the “4×4 : FOUR MAKERS.” So much fun to work on a large collaboration project with your Talented Friends! Each interpreting the theme in their own way using their own mediums & talents. Always exciting when a good plan comes together!

Categories: art fair, artists, collaborations, friends, My Talented Friends

Today was the opening of “4×4 : FOUR MAKERS” in Evanston. Thanks to everyone who stopped by today to chat & buy some art. We always love seeing art enthusiasts, collectors, hobbyists, students, friends & more! We’re looking forward to two more days of fun… hoping you can stop by! I’ll be there with my talented friends Sarah, Darlys & Robin! What could be better than hanging out with friends all day surrounded by great art & good snacks?! C’mon by…

Categories: art fair, artists

Look… we made it into the Evanston Made advertising!!! Yes, lots of art events & gallery shows all around Evanston on the first Saturday of every month… which just happens to be TOMORROW!!! Be sure to swing by… and then feel free to see the rest of the art shows in Evanston. But come to see us first… just sayin’…

Categories: art fair, artists, collaborations, My Talented Friends, tiles

Enough of the teasers… here’s a quick look of the big collaboration project we’ve all been working on! The “4×4 : FOUR MAKERS” have been busy “making”… four tiles each for the four seasons! So sixteen tiles total in one large installation… but first we need to get it up on the wall?! The show opens at 2:00pm today, so we gotta get going quick!