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

Well, we’ve finally made it to the end of the month… and I can’t believe tomorrow is already October!!! How did THAT happen??? Anyway, the end of the month also means another CHAIN for the Monthly Chain Challenge! I started awhile back… with this little pile of extruded fun!!!

Categories: clay, process, production, terra cotta, The Ghouls Collection

Another batch of balls… another batch of Ghouls!!!
Next weekend is ART IN THE BARN… after a long year’s hiatus… so it’s time to introduce a new member into The Ghouls Collection!

Giddy-up Ghouls!!!

Categories: clay, lillstreet, process, summer camp, terra cotta

Starting out the morning with clean reclaim buckets… as Nate volunteered to press all of the dried reclaim terra cotta through the grate on top… as intended. I love when my Summer Campers just start volunteering to do projects around the studio making it a better place for everyone. As though they’re part of the community. Taking one for the team. Now if we could just get some more of the adult students to follow Nate’s lead… wouldn’t THAT be great?!

Categories: clay, summer camp

So it’s another week of Wheelthrowing Summer Camp… and another week of “covered” CUTENESS!!! I mean, really… pretty darn cute even with hands covered with a gloppy-goopey mess & half of her face covered with her yellow mask!!!

Categories: clay, summer camp

When new clay meets “graveyard” reclaimed clay during Summer Camp!!! So my wheelthrowing campers “recycle” their bad & shmooshed pots by slightly drying them out on plaster bats and then wedging them back together with some new clay! Looks like it might be another Marbled Monday!

Categories: classes, clay

And apparently THIS is something new?… I guess the class last night thought it was a good idea to dry their clay in front of a fan??? Too bad it was still there this morning with the fan still going!!!! My campers would never let this happen! Just sayin’…

Categories: clay, lillstreet, process, summer camp

Well, we’re finishing up another week of Wheelthrowing Summer Camp… and what better way than by having the kids clean-up after themselves… and after some of the adults too! Once again they decided to push the reclaim clay through the grid & wash down the bucket.

Something I’ve NEVER seen an adult student do…
and never with such a cute face involved!!!

Categories: bowls, clay, process

Trimming off the ribbons from this bowl thrown with marbled clay. I love trimming with my DiamondCore Tools … especially when shaving off the outer “skin” of the blurred clay to reveal the stark contrast of the marbled clay inside. Looks like it’s MARBLED MONDAY… spinning & trimming on my wheel!

Categories: clay, process, studio

After summer camp today, I putz’d around in my studio for awhile trying to catch up on a few “projects” that have been hanging out for quite awhile now. One of them was to pull out my latest batch of reclaimed clay & put it on a large plaster bat so it can start to dry. Goopey-gloppy fun… and a lot of FREE CLAY!!! Do you see the not-so-hidden surprise???!

Categories: clay, creativity, inspiration

Well, it’s the last day of April… and the last day for Monthly Handmade Chain Challenge entries! As I’ve been working hard in the studio lately… I saw some “inspiration” right in front of me on my pegboard. So I decided to make this month’s handmade chain out of the wire twist ties that all of my clay comes in from Continental Clay!

And what’s the perfect pendant for a clay-bag-twist-tie-necklace?…
well, a miniature bag of clay with its own twist tie of course!!!

#2021chainchallenge – #handmadechain – #chainlinks2021