Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: bowls, classes, surface decoration

Part Two of last night’s class demo with my Beginners was to show them several quick tips & tricks to make some “not-so-basic bowls.” I’m a firm believer that the wheel does most of the work making a plain round bowl. But it’s up to each potter to do something to it to make it “their” handmade bowl. So I encouraged them to play with their clay & have a little more fun making each bowl a little more fun!!!

Of course I’m a “More is More” kinda guy… so there’s still a good chance
these “might” still get a little more embellishments in the next day or so?!

BOWL A – Plain… this is where they ALL started!!!

BOWL B – Two Fluted Points

BOWL C – Eight fluted points.

BOWL D – Thin rim-flange bent outwards.

BOWL E – wide rim-flange bent outward.

BOWL F – Bent flange & four fluted points together.

BOWL G – Split rim with eight pinched points.

BOWL H – Split rim with four indented sides.

BOWL I – Split rim with four inward dented sides… and four outward dented corners.

BOWL J – Thick white slip inside… then a tool dragged through to create a spiral.

BOWL K – Thick white slip interior, then chattered with rhythmic tapping of a rubber rib.

BOWL L – Thick slip ombre’ blend of white to green… this will be carved through later!

BOWL M – Thick slip ombre’ blend of green to white… this will be carved through later!

So for now they’re all under plastic in my studio…
waiting for a chance o do a wee bit more detailing & decorating!

Categories: bowls, classes

So last night with my Beginning Wheel class, it was my favorite demo of the session…
Bowls, Bowls, BOWLS!!!

We started with how to throw a bowl on purpose, and not just a cylinder gone bad. And while they practiced, I threw “a few” more bowls for Part Two of the demo… turning them all into “not-so-basic bowls” with a few surface decoration tips & tricks. More to come…

Categories: bowls, classes, flower pots, stamped, surface decoration

After I shared my stories, photos & videos of “the wreckage”…
we finally got down for some SURFACE DECORATION last night with textural stamping.
I did a few demos… and it felt great to not think about my car for a couple hours!

Categories: bowls, classes, process, stamped, stamps, surface decoration

After yesterday’s trial’s & tribulations, I had a little “escape” when I got to do a little stamping with my SURFACE DECORATION class last night.

Of course I had to ride my bike to get there!!!

Categories: classes, surface decoration

Last night in my SURFACE DECORATION class, I showed my students some fun wheelthrowing “tricks” to make textured pots on the wheel. Of course I had to introduce some of them to my collection of handrollers from MKM Pottery Tools! Pressing them into fresh clay & then bulging them out to shape the newly textured pot!!!

Categories: classes, mugs

Just a couple mugs after last night’s class. It’s only their second week of the session…
and a couple of them already have mugs! Me too… with a couple demo pieces!!!

Categories: classes, food

You gotta love when you go to start teaching class… and you find a surprise gift on your Teacher Shelf! A crazy cool flavor combination from a foreign land! I have the best students… thanks so much Monse!

Categories: classes, throwdown, tie-dye

And a huge THANK YOU to my amazing THROWDOWN class…
who got me this fantastic tie-dyed t-shirt as a “Thank You Gift.”

Well, actually they made it… with Monse designing the logo!
It says “Welcome To The Throwdown : Kiln or Be Kilned.” With a nod to my love of tie-dye, reality TV show “The Traitors”… and even some stamping around the tureen image! Monse even pulled one of my own favorite stamp patterns to create the design!!!

This class never ceased to amaze me… THANK YOU ALL!!!

Categories: classes, throwdown

And the nominees are…

After ten weeks of LILLSTREET THROWDOWN races, challenges, competitions & projects… they were all WINNERS in the end. We all had such a great time as points were accumulated all season long. And that journey definitely deserved RIBBONS FOR EVERYONE!!!

We had some great competitors, but in the end it was Katie in third place, Ruth in second place … and Sara as the BIG WINNER of Season Eight!!! Congrats to everyone for making this class so much fun… and more importantly, for entertaining ME every step of the way!!!

Categories: classes, throwdown, tie-dye

And a huge THANK YOU to my amazing THROWDOWN class… who got me this fantastic tie-dyed t-shirt as a “Thank You Gift.” Well, actually they made it… with Monse designing the logo! It says “Welcome To The Throwdown : Kiln or Be Kilned.”

With a nod to my love of tie-dye, reality TV show “The Traitors”… and even some stamping around the tureen image! Monse even pulled one of my own favorite stamp patterns to create the design!!! This class never ceased to amaze me… THANK YOU ALL!!!