Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: art fair, My Talented Friends, pottery

One last reminder…. this weekend is the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOURjust in case you’ve somehow “missed” my previous posts??? I will be at the Sandwich location at the home-studio of my talented friend Cory McCrory! We may be the furthest away location, but we have a lot of great artists with full-on art fair tents full of pottery!!! Come on by!!!

Categories: art fair, platters, pottery, stamped

Starting TOMORROW!!! I’m packing up now, loading car with tons of pots & headed to Sandwich soon to start setting up! Looking forward to a great weekend as part of the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR again this year. Hoping to see a lot of pottery-loving folks this weekend… come on by the Sandwich location first… and then head to the rest!!!

Categories: art fair, artists, pottery

Just a quick reminder that this weekend is the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR. I am returning this year as a Guest Artist at my friend Cory McCrory’s home-studio in Sandwich, Illinois. We’ve got a great group of artists in Sandwich… so I think it makes sense to start the day with us, and then work your way back at the other studio stops along The Tour. Hit all of the locations to see a LOT of pottery next weekend. Hope to see you there!

Categories: art fair, pottery

We’re now just two weeks away from the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR. So mark your calendar for June 8th & 9th to go road-trippin’ arounf northern Illinois to see a lOT of great pottery. I will once again be hanging out at the Sandwich location… at my friend Cory McCrory’s home & studio. Check out the website for locations & information – https://www.northernilpotterytour.com/

Categories: art fair, pottery

Always fun to have a fellow potter return to our PLANTS & POTTERY POP-UP SALE! I met Sadie down here last year… and this year she brought some more pottery-loving friends!!! A trifecta of stamped & soda-fired pots for the three of them!!!

Categories: flowers, friends, garden, pottery

I’m getting ready to “spring” right into art fair mode… starting this weekend with a fun pop-up in Central Illinois. I’ll be spending the weekend with my very first art fair friends… yes, they were right across the aisle from me many years ago! They were the seasoned veterans, and I was the unknowing newbie. They took me under their wings & we’ve been friends ever since! But I digress… they will be selling many of their own homegrown plants, and I’ll have an assortment of pottery! If you live in Central Illinois, this is the closest show you’ll find me at… so I hope you can stop by!!!

If not, my next three weekends are also booked with art fairs… with Schaumburg, Hinsdale & Sandwich for the Northern Illinois Pottery Tour… chronologically in that order. Mark your calendars!

Categories: art fair, artists, pottery

Lookey-lookey!!! The new postcards & posters have arrived! I just got my stash of marketing materials for the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR. So excited to be returning to the Tour as a guest potter at my friend Cory’ McCrory’s studio in Sandwich, Illinois. Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 8th & Sunday, June 9th and plan for a full day or two of pottery fun! Drive the Tour from studio to studio… visiting artist and seeing a LOT of great pottery!!

For more Tour information… check out the website here!

Categories: pottery, vases

Christmas in April… as this quartet finally received their Christmas gifts from my friend Maryann. Looks like some of her grandchildren were pleased with their new pottery… round vases with crackled slip, stamped rims & soda-fired flashing effects! Thanks for sharing your “holidays” with us Maryann!

Categories: kiln firing, pottery, soda-fired

So it’s been a busy week… with working all day, teaching three night classes, cleaning the kiln, biking & doing my taxes!!! Yes, I’m still working on my TAXES!!! But here’s the inside my soda kiln from last weekend… finally! Another beautiful firing with some great colors & flashing marks all the way through! Looking forward to spending some more time with each of these pieces as I start to prep & price them all for the upcoming art fair season! After I finish my taxes of course…

Categories: pottery, process, production, stamped

Busy making again… this time it’s bottomless cylinders that get turned into ovals.
No one ever said that wheelthrown pots had to be round!!!