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

Apparently the Glenview Summer Art Fair was featured in the Daily Herald newspaper this weekend. And it appears as though there just may be some pottery featured in the article! Kind of exciting… especially as it seems like she’s REALLY enjoying my work!!!

For the full article, click here… and then click on “Show More Pictures”… https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20210724/outdoor-summer-art-fair-in-glenview-returns-after-covid-19-break

Categories: bowls, stamped, textures

I’ve kinda been on a bowl-making kick lately!
Trying to replenish the supply for upcoming art fairs. Sure, this one is still wet under plastic… but there will be plenty of other serving bowls ready to go to their new forever-homes tomorrow during the Glenview Summer Art Fair!

Categories: bowls, stamped, textures

Another bowl with more stamping to make it more fun! While this specific one might not make it to the art fair this weekend, there are plenty of other ones that will be done & glazed in time!!! Mark your calendar for the Glenview Summer Art Fair this weekend!!!

Categories: bowls, stamped

A fun little set of stamped bowls… maybe for a little ice cream???
While they may not be identical twins, they are surely close cousins!

Categories: bowls, patterns, stamped

One bowl. Two stamps. Lots of repetition…
Just to make another stamped & textured rim. I like how the stamped pattern creates this kind of chevron effect around the rim!

Categories: bowls, stamped, textures

Added a few stamped details to this serving bowl.
A textured rim of repetitive stamping to make it a little more special.

Categories: bowls, food, holiday

You know how much I love celebrating a national holiday… so tonight I felt somehow “compelled” to celebrate with my favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor to celebrate NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY!!! All of my favorite flavors in one place… chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, more chocolate… it’s like the “MORE IS MORE” of ice cream!!!

Categories: bowls, process, production, stamped, surface decoration, textures

All stamped & detailed… and the bowls are all back under plastic until they dry-up a bit more for trimming. Good thing I love trimming too… almost as much as stamping!!!

Almost.

Categories: bowls, surface decoration

After Tuesday’s “not-so-basic” basic bowl demo… I did a bit of detailing today with some stamps & textures. You know I subscribe to the school of MORE IS MORE.

So this afternoon I did a little bit MORE to the bowls!

Categories: bowls, classes, surface decoration, wheelthrowing

Last night during my Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing class, we tackled making a bowl on purpose… instead of a cylinder gone bad. We discussed the differences… and how I can see if it started out as a cylinder… tsk-tsk!

After doing a demo on a basic bowl, I explained how the wheel pretty much makes the plain bowl for you… but it’s up to YOU to decorate it and make it your own! So I threw a bunch of basic bowls during class for us to “play with” later!

And then we re-grouped when I was done throwing all of the bowls. We then went through a quick barrage of tricks & techniques for doing some surface decorations to their bowls. None of them are too difficult. It’s more about encouraging them to give it a try, commit to something, having fun… and i fit doesn’t work, we can always squish it up, re-wedge it and try again. IT’S JUST CLAY!!!

Bowl #1 – The “Control” Sample… this is what they all started out like…

Bowl #2 – a simple fluted edge in four places

Bowl #3 – a simple flared-out flange

Bowl #4 – A wider flared flange… more “canvas” for decorating!

Bowl #5 – a split rim with two side dents…
good potential for a basket handle to go up & over the top

Bowl #6 – Another split rim – this time with four dents making kind of a quatrefoil squared-off effect

Bowl #7 – Another split rim… this time with eight finger-pinched sections

Bowl #8 – another split rim with eight dented sections… four inwards & four outwards – creating a bit of a lotus effect

Bowl #9 – Thick white slip with a tight spiral dragged through using the rounded end of my wooden knife.

Bowl #10 – Thick white slip with some concentric banding.

Bowl #11 – Thick white slip with loose fingsr-painting squiggles.

Bow #12 – Thick white slip with groovy squiggle pattern using the rounded end of my wooden knife.

Bowl #13 – Chattering…. rhythmic tapping of a rubber rib through the thick white slip while the bowl was spinning on the wheel.

Bowl #14 – Another bowl with chattering….
this time a bit more angular & linear in the center… by request.

Bowl #15 – An ombre blended gradation of black & white slips… then a fun spiral dragged through both.

So for now they’re all under plastic up in my studio. The class demo was a lot of fun for everyone… just trying to show off some tricks & techniques for decorating basic bowls! I will continue to “detail” them… and possibly do a little stamping in the days to come!