Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: creativity, friends, holiday, music

Tonight’s the night… and Santa Claus is comin’ to town!!! So why not celebrate with some sweet treats and a little Christmas Caroling?! Feel free to sing-along… ahhh, remember road-trips back when you could still drive in the car with friends???

Categories: creativity, friends, holiday, totem pole

It’s beginning to look LOT like Christmas!!!EVERYwhere you go! So festive & fun to see how one of my ceramic totem poles is now surrounded by Christmas Cheer!!! It’s a crazy mix of holiday fun out in the suburbs these days!!! Thanks Chris!

Categories: color, creativity, process

After letting all of the ice melt, letting the dye set-in… it’s finally time to take off the rubber bands and to open up my new tie-dyed shirts. There’s always a moment of anticipation as you start to open it up and the pattern begins to reveal itself. So here they are… four shirts before & after… wrapped & unwrapped!!! Loving the results so far… and I might just need to make more.

You know, MORE IS MORE – even when it comes to tie-dye!!!

Categories: creativity, food, holiday

Looking to make a cute gingerbread house for the holidays?! Well my pals down at MAURIE’S SUGAR SHOPPE in Eureka, Illinois have all of the retro groovy candies you might need to decorate your masterpiece… and a LOT more treats just to eat!

Click here to check them out on Facebook!

Categories: creativity, inspiration

Or at least it should be during these trying times!
Especially with the holidays just days away!

Categories: color, creativity

Okay, so I first did a batch of ice-dyed tie-dye shirt at the start of the pandemic. So I find it a little disheartening that here I am doing it again… it’s been quite awhile now, and not a whole lot has changed?! Except for my LOVE of tie-dye!!! So here are a couple shirts under the ice, melting away and dyeing my shirts! Big reveal still to come… but for now it’s a waiting game!

Categories: creativity, holiday

Look who just popped onto my tree!!! Santa couldn’t deliver his gifts of toilet paper & hand sanitizer via ZOOM, so he put on his best mask an just stopped by with proper social distancing!! Celebrating the season as best we can… with a wonderful handmade ornament by my friend Tiffany!

If you would like one of your own, she’s busily making more like a good Elf should… and you can connect with her through Instagram – @tiff_in_quarantine

Categories: creativity, holiday, inspiration, music, theater

Anyone looking for a little mid-afternoon musical holiday diversion?!
Any “HAMILTON” fans out there… if so, you’ll LOVE this one!!!
Brilliantly written. Perfectly performed.

Now I really want to see the entire show “Hamilton-ized.”
Maybe some of the “Island of Misfit Toys” can become the Schuyler Sisters??? Hermey as Thomas Jefferson… or even better, the Abominable Snowman as Aaron Burr?… or would that be Aaron BRRR…!!!

Categories: art fair, creativity, holiday, music, pottery

Here we go… first by kicking off my TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS POTTERY SALE with a little musical interlude. The “official” Photo Album to shop from will be posted next on my Fire When Ready Pottery Facebook page!!! Just getting ready for a little holiday fun… and the perfect chance for you to get some holiday gift sopping done!!!

Click here to go to my Facebook page to shop from the “official” Photo Album!

Categories: artists, creativity

A little “cement graffiti” as seen this morning along the lakefront carved into one of the cement boulders of the retaining walls.