Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: patterns, stamped, surface decoration, textures, tools

Time to get my groove on… starting with another groovy & crisp pattern from an MKM Pottery Tools handroller. Starting with a textured slab… with a plan in mind for a new oval vase project! Coming soon… deadlines are approaching!!!

Categories: patterns, tools

Rolling textures & making patterns with one of my MKM Pottery Tools hand rollers… working with slabs to make some fun pieces for next weekend’s “4×4 : FOUR MAKERS” pop-up exhibition & sale!

Categories: challenge, classes, patterns, stamped, textures, tools

A lot of texture rolling & pattern pressing happened in class last Thursday night for the LILLSTREET THROWDOWN. I gave them a task… and my MKM Pottery Tools hand rollers for the night! Some students had never really handbuilt before… but they were all eager to start rolling!!! Such great patterns… thank you MKM!!!

Categories: mugs, patterns, production, stamped, textures, tools

“Hybrid mugs” assembled, trimmed & handled… and the MKM Pottery Tools that did most of the hard work. Sure, I might have had a tiny-something to do with it too?! But having good tools always makes it more fun!!!

Categories: patterns, textures, tools

Getting ready to tackle another batch of “hybrid mugs” with some of my favorite MKM Pottery Tools. Great hand rollers for making textured slabs before I turn them into fun mugs!

Categories: mugs, patterns, process, production, stamped, stamps

Lots of stamping… lots of patterns… lots of textures! Always fun using my own handmade clay stamps to create the surfaces on my mugs. All pressed in one by one… by one… by one…

Categories: bowls, glaze, patterns, surface decoration

Just one of my “not-so-basic” class demo bowls… after a banded layer of white slip, then carved through with leaf patterns. A quick layer of an amber celadon glaze tops it off. And I’m kinda diggin’ the sparkly gold flecks in the pooled areas.

Categories: patterns, stamped, surface decoration, textures

A lot of stamping yesterday… followed by a LOT of colored flashing slip accents painted in all the right places today!!! You know I work best under deadline… rush, rush… it’s all coming together!!!

Categories: handbuilding, mugs, patterns, textures, wheelthrowing

Pretty excited about this first batch of “hybrid” mugs… half wheelthrown, half handbuilt… using my new MKM Pottery Tools for some great patterns & textures. I’m pretty sure the soda kiln is going to LOVE making all of these textures really pop!!!

Categories: bowls, patterns, surface decoration, tools

I took one of my class demo bowls that was covered with white slip & a few banded details… and started carving into it. Love my DiamondCore Tools for clean & crisp carving lines. Going right through the leatherhard white slip & digging into the darker clay body for a nice contrast. The details & pattern will look great after glazing… as the color difference & grooved carving lines work well with the glaze!