Celebrating MUGSHOT MONDAY with just “a couple” mugs! I’ve got a bit of glazing to tackle today. My soda kiln is scheduled for this weekend… so the deadline is coming quick and I’m just starting to glaze!!! Gotta stay focused… and get my glaze on!!!




Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play |
Celebrating MUGSHOT MONDAY with just “a couple” mugs! I’ve got a bit of glazing to tackle today. My soda kiln is scheduled for this weekend… so the deadline is coming quick and I’m just starting to glaze!!! Gotta stay focused… and get my glaze on!!!




So they may be food-safe & dishwasher-safe… but apparently NOT gravity-safe!!! Looks like someone up north will be missing their favorite ice cream bowl for awhile… as THIS is not going to hold much anymore. No worries. Remember… it’s JUST CLAY Kristy!!!

On a quick side note…
Look how nicely thin & even those wheelthrown walls are on that bowl!… just sayin’…

Did a little glazing tonight… and kinda loving how the sprayed glazes
bead-up so quickly on the pre-waxed bottom!

My cousin Kim likes to grow them, but doesn’t like to eat them!
So this is where I come in… enjoying the fruits of her labors!
Loving how much homegrown vegetables taste so much better than store-bought… and EVEN BETTER when stored in a beautiful bowl?!!! Just sayin’…



So it was a VERY late night in my studio last night as I was underglazing colors & dots all over the sugar skulls long after Summer Camp. And then a very early return to the studio as I needed to get all of them glazed in the spray booth with a low-fire clear glaze and load them into the kiln BEFORE Summer Camp started this morning! Accomplished with just minutes to spare.
So for now, the kiln is on and my fingers are crossed… as I hope they all turn out great and make a big splash this weekend at ART IN THE GARDEN in Glenview.

Looks like it’s a fresh-picked morning in Pittsburgh!
Beautiful blackberries fresh off the vine… and into a cheery summer green bowl!
Thanks Jody… enjoy your homegrown treats!!!

Celebrating a little MUGSHOT MONDAY after the storm!
Huge winds & heavy rain blew right through The Windy City taking down trees, power lines and so much more! I hope that everyone is safe after this crazy weather incident. I know we have trees down, branches & leaves everywhere… but still safe & healthy! All good here.

We’re all enjoying the natural light coming through the skylights in the new & improved Glaze Room at Lillstreet Art Center. So much larger now so there’s plenty of room to keep your distance… and get some glazing done at the same time! Plus, now we have a sign-up for a glazing time-slot system to keep the traffic down, time to clean & sanitize… and to keep everyone safe & socially-distant!



One of the best parts of “kiln firing day” is I can also get a lot of “busy-work” done around the studio. Like spraying these baby building blocks with a layer of clear glaze. If you remember, these were leftover from the end of our Winter session and my Lillstreet Throwdown class. We made them as a surprise gift for Molly & Jacob who are expecting their first child. We finished building them at the end of class, and they were bisqued soon after that. And there they sat on the shelf as the pandemic took hold.

Sure, I was working in the studio. Sure, I could have glazed these any time over the past three and a half months… but of course I kept putting it off. Well, they’re FINALLY glazed… and ready to be fired again! The “Team Lavender Baby” is due in six weeks… so I had plenty of time. Could have easily procrastinated a few more weeks!!!



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Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
Lillstreet Studios ∙ 4401 North Ravenswood, Chicago, Illinois 60640 ∙ 773-307-8664 gary@firewhenreadypottery.com |