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

For the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR, I am one of the Invited Guest Artists at the Sandwich, Illinois location! I will be joining my pal & uber-talented paperclay artist Cory McCrory, along with Nancy Gardner & Linda Kiepke. Unfortunately, this year the tour will be “virtual” with online sales by all of the ceramic artists! I can’t wait for next year when I get to play in-person with these three talented women!

For more information : www.northernilpotterytour.com

Categories: art fair, artists, pottery

Next up on the schedule… the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR! It’s the inaugural year for the tour with twenty-one potters! This year will kick-off with a virtual online event… but we’re going live & in-person next year. So watch out!!!

Check us out at www.northernilpotterytour.com for more information!
And I’ll be sharing more info soon…

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

We had a wonderful day at the HINSDALE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL today. Incredible weather, nice shade, sweet breeze… and a great booth neighbor to play with! I’ve know Rhonda Gurgone for a couple years now from the art fair circuit… but we’ve never gotten quite this much time to hang out together. If you happen to swing by the fair tomorrow, be sure to pop in to say “Hi”, She makes great jewelry pieces out of vintage & historical buttons. You can tell that she loves what she does… and LOVES sharing the stories behind every button!!!!

Check her out at The Buttons Stop Here – @thebuttonsstophere

Categories: artists, sculpture

Another surprise find during my trip to Omaha last weekend was running into these two masterpieces by ceramic artist Jun Kaneko. I’ve seen a couple of these dango sculptures (Japanese for “rounded form”) before at SOFA CHICAGO… but never this up-close & personal. Little did I know that his studio is in Omaha too… I learned that fact when I got home!!! Too late… maybe next time?!

Categories: art fair, artists, pottery

So excited to be part of this new Pottery Tour… featuring so many great potters! I wish we were doing it live & in-person this time… but with times being what they are, we’re online virtual this year. But look for us alive & in-person next summer!!! More details to come!!!

Categories: art fair, artists, My Talented Friends, pottery

Today’s MY day apparently! Excited to be today’s Featured Artist for the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR! We’re just a couple weeks away from our inaugural Pottery Tour… virtual this year, in-person from then on! June 18th, 19th & 20th.

Honored to be part of the Tour… along with several of My Talented Friends! Mark your calendars… and follow-along for more details @northernilpotterytour … as well as our new website www.northernilpotterytour.com

Categories: art fair, artists, pottery, special events

Well lookie here… there’s a lot of great potters getting together to put on a brand new NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR! Many of them I already know as “My Talented Friends”… the others I can’t wait to add to that list! So many potters, so many pots, so much talent all in one Pottery Tour. Going virtual this year June 18-20th… but looking forward to a full on-location Pottery Tour in 2022. More details to come… and check us out at www.northernilpotterytour.com

Categories: artists, creativity, friends

And of course, a new twist-tie necklace needs a lovely supermodel to properly show it off! Huge thanks to my pal Judy for volunteering to help this afternoon at Lillstreet… she was the first of the three I asked to volunteer. See Catherine & Patti what fun you missed out on… should’ve volunteered sooner… HA!!!

April 2021 Handmade Chain Challenge… DONE!!!
#2021chainchallenge – #handmadechain – #chainlinks2021

Categories: artists, lillstreet, sculpture

A new show has popped up in the Lillstreet Gallery Annex on the second floor. Sculptural works by one of the new Artists-In-Residence… Corran Shrimpton. I was struck by this piece as it was the first one to show-up in the gallery space. Striking & powerful… as she reaches for the chalk eraser!

Categories: art fair, artists, pottery

Look what showed up in the mail today! The poster for THE ST. CROIX VALLEY POTTERY TOUR! I’ve been going to this pottery tour for over a decade – always one of my favorite road trips.

Until now… last year & again this year they will be going “virtual” with online sales instead of an in-person event. So much more fun to touch, love & actually feel the pottery… as well as chat with the artists in-person. But I get it… staying safe during these crazy times. Guess we’ll have to play online instead… with fingers crossed for the in-person tour to return next year!!! Now if I could just wrangle an invite to be one of the potters included THAT would truly make my day!!!