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

Okay, so it turned out to be a late night Friday, but I finally got the soda kiln all loaded & the door bricked up for the night. Then it was home for a quick sleep… so I could return early yesterday morning to start the firing!

Categories: kiln firing, process, production, soda-fired

It took a couple hours Friday night, but I finally got my pots stacked in the soda kiln. I tried my best and fit “almost” everything in… just a few stragglers that didn’t quite fit in the end. Guess they’ll just have to wait until my next firing in October?!

Categories: kiln firing

An empty soda kiln full of possibilities…

Categories: glaze, kiln firing, process, production

Plenty of pots & pumpkins… all glazed, wadded & ready for the soda kiln. The masking tape is just a little “seat belt” to keep everything in place on the shelves as I bring my cart form my studio downstairs on the rickety freight elevator! Spent my Friday night loading the kiln… after the last day of Summer Camp!!!

Categories: kiln firing, production

You know how much I love to see these four letters!!! My bisque kiln just clicked off… so now I’m hoping that it cools fast enough that I can start glazing some of the contents tomorrow after summer camp. Fingers crossed… but it is packed pretty tight…

Categories: kiln firing, production

Time to “cook” some pumpkins! Just loading one last bisque kiln before this weekend’s soda firing. Lots of pumpkins going in… hopefully all DRY so we don’t have any pumpkin explosions this time around?!

Categories: art fair, kiln firing, production

Early morning in the kiln room… with my four favorite letters! Still too hot to unload… but I hope it cools quick enough that I can unload after summer camp today?! Please, oh please… fingers crossed.

Otherwise I might be unloading warm pots on my way to set-up my art fair tent on Saturday morning?

Categories: glaze, kiln firing, mugs

It’s been a LONG day at the studio… morning camp, afternoon camp, glazing, more glazing… and then teaching again tonight. And as if that weren’t enough, I also loaded a kiln after class … later than planned as the person before me didn’t unload their pieces yesterday as they were scheduled to do. I had to wait… finally able to load late tonight after class!!! Here’s just one layer of the kiln with some new, colorful mugs… which might be coming “still warm” to the GLENVIEW SUMMER ART FAIR this weekend?!

Categories: glaze, kiln firing, mugs, process, production

All glazed & kiln loaded… with some soon-to-be colorful mugs on the bottom layer! Now to get home to start prepping & packing for this weekend’s HINSDALE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL. It should be a beautiful weekend in Burlington Park in downtown Hinsdale… c’mon by!

Categories: kiln firing

And just in the nick of time… more flowerpots, mugs, vases & bowls headed down to the PLANTS & POTTERY POP-UP SALE!!! FRIDAY & Saturday in Bartonville… possibly with some warm pots?!