Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: bowls, challenge, handbuilding, soda-fired

After soda-firing, my chain looks great with some flashing marks to help accentuate the textures on some of the links. Might not be what all of the metalsmiths expected from a chain challenge… but I think I succeeded again! Yeah, I’ll show them!!! HA!!!

#2021chainchallenge – #handmadechain – #chainlinks2021

Categories: bowls, holiday

Hop ‘on over for the EASTER BUNNY POP-UP SALE!!! They just went on sale TODAY at 9:00am CST. Be the first to scoop up a basket or two for the season. I’ll ship them out right away so you should have them in time for Easter next weekend! They’re perfect for Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies or Spring flowers!

Available only on my Fire When Ready Pottery Facebook page… click here!

Click through the pictures to see all eleven baskets on Facebook. Just be the first person to add a Comment of “MINE” in the Facebook Comment Section of the basket you want… and then I’ll send you a Facebook Message with more details & purchasing information. It’s that easy. Each ceramic basket bowl is $85 which includes packing & shipping within the contiguous US. I “hop”… err, I mean “hope” you like them! They were fun to make… and should brighten any Spring or Easter Day!

Click here to “hop” directly to my Facebook page!

EASTER BASKET #1 –

EASTER BASKET #2 –

EASTER BASKET #3 –

EASTER BASKET #4 –

EASTER BASKET #5 –

EASTER BASKET #6 –

EASTER BASKET #7 –

EASTER BASKET #8 –

EASTER BASKET #9 –

EASTER BASKET #10 –

EASTER BASKET #11 –

Remember, these Easter Basket bowls go on sale this morning – but ONLY on my Fire When Ready Pottery Facebook page! Click here to go there now!

Categories: bowls, holiday, pottery

A tisket, a tasket… time to grab a ceramic basket !!!

EASTER BUNNY POP-UP SALE… tomorrow morning at 9:00am CST only here on my Fire When Ready Pottery Facebook page! Hop on over and grab a basket for your Easter Eggs, chocolate bunnies or Spring flowers!

Click here to go to my Facebook page!

Categories: bowls, holiday, pottery

My new Spring basket bowls are ready for tomorrow’s EASTER BUNNY POP-UP SALE only on my Fire When Ready Pottery Facebook page. Perfect for collecting Spring flowers… or even better, perhaps some colorful Easter Eggs?! Come back tomorrow morning at 9:00am CST for the hoppin’ big sale!!!

Click here to go directly to my Facebook page!

Categories: bowls, glaze, pottery, stamped

Details. Stamps. Handles. Bowls… just a little visual “teaser” of the new basket bowls that have now all been glazed… and getting ready for a POP-UP SALE on my Fire When Ready Pottery Facebook pagecoming soon!!!

Limited colors & quantities… sorry, no dibs
Gotta wait for the sale!

Click here to go to my Facebook page!

Categories: bowls, classes, patterns, soda-fired, surface decoration

Speaking of class demos… here’s my first bowl using the water erosion technique! Remember, I used shellac to paint on the pattern and then wiped away the surface of the background… leaving the protected areas a little raised from the background. I then glazed it in a forest green celadon glaze that turns blue when the soda atmosphere hits it. So the wide range of colors that go around the bowl are all from the “magic” of the soda kiln firing… not me!!!

Categories: bowls, glaze, process

When a basket handle comes tumbling down!!! Well, I kinda knew it would. When I got this basket bowl out of the bisque, there was a small one-inch piece “missing” and sitting down inside the bowl. Sadly, I recall “allegedly” trying to put a kiln shelf in and having it “bump” a basket handle because I didn’t measure the height so well. Guess that “bump” broke the handle!!! Whoops!

But, when I was glazing, the missing piece still fit into the gap and gravity held it in pretty snug. I decided to go for it. I glazed the pot, the missing piece, and wedged them together… and gave it all a second dip to help seal it together. I had my fingers crossed… but wasn’t too surprised to see it had fallen out during the firing.

What did surprise me though was the way one side of the broken handle totally “imploded” and fell right into the bowl!!! TIMBER!!!

Categories: bowls, flowers, soda-fired, workshop

Cassie brought these tiny little flower dishes to fire in the soda kiln! They were made with different kinds of clay, and glazed with different colors. Individually they were great kiln filler… but when put together I like them even more!!! Like a floral tapestry!

Categories: bowls, food, stamped

You gotta love when you make it into the studio… and your studio “neighbor” has deep-dish apple pancake leftovers to share!!! Thanks Lesley… such a yummy surprise treat!

Categories: bowls, clay, color

Another example of cool marbled clay after trimming! Lots of layers of colored clay all mixed together!!! Works well as long as all of your clay bodies have the same shrinkage rate!