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

It’s time to kick-off your holiday shopping… make your list, check it twice and then head over to MY HOLIDAY HOME SHOW this weekend from 10:00am-6:00pm on Saturday & Sunday. We’re taking all of the proper precautions to keep it safe & socially-distanced for everyone with a limited capacity of six shoppers at one time.

Check here for more details, address & safety precautions!

Categories: food, pottery, stamped

Nothing better than when your friends run a candy shop… and bring you more CHOCOLATE FUDGE!!! Homemade & yummy fresh from MAURIE’S in Eureka, Illinois. Gee, I would love to share with my guests today, but that might not be “safe”… so I guess I’ll just have to eat it all myself.

Oh shucks.

Categories: art fair, pottery

We’re open today for Day Two of MY HOLIDAY HOME SHOW from 10:00am-6:00pm. Yesterday went well with plenty of social-distancing… limited access, full face masks, hand sanitizer, contactless check-out & sanitizing spray!!! I know these are tough times… but I’m doing everything I can to keep it safe for everyone who “needs” a little pottery shopping therapy!

Remember, you can still sign-up for socially-distant time slot appointments this coming Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday evenings. Click here for complete details!

For the rest of you safely staying home… I will be adding a LOT more pottery & ornaments to my assortment online very soon!!!

Categories: art fair, pottery

Here’s a quick glimpse of what’s in store for those who make it over to MY HOLIDAY HOME SHOW this weekend. All set-up and decorated for the holidays! And this is just the living room… there’s MORE in the other rooms too!!! Remember, we’re “open” for limited access shopping from 10:00am-6:00pm tomorrow & Sunday.

Click here for more information, details & safety precautions!

Categories: art fair, holiday, pottery

Thank you for understanding that crazy times call for crazy measures.
So we’re doing Pottery With Precautions this holiday season!!!

Click HERE for full details and to book an appointment.
There’s a LOT of information & changes, so please read carefully. Thank you.

Categories: art fair, kiln firing, pottery, process, production

Always great to see these four letters… one last kiln load fired & complete… fresh pots just in time for MY HOLIDAY HOME SHOW! It wasn’t quite cool enough to unload when I arrived, but hopefully it will be cooler after teaching class tonight!Don’t forget, you can still sign-up for a socially-distant & sanitized appointment time slots on my website.

Click here for full HOLIDAY HOME SHOW details & appointment times!

Categories: art fair, holiday, pottery

It’s been a crazy year 2020…
so why not expect a crazy HOLIDAY HOME SHOW too?!

It’s traditionally my biggest, best & favorite art fair of the year. But this year is going to have to be a LOT different. It’s time to start making your gift list & checking it twice… as I have a LOT of pottery with precautions! More details coming soon on how we’re all going to stay safe & stay healthy this year!!!

Categories: family, food, friends, pottery

So this all started with an ongoing thread of text messages. With the virus ramping up again as predicted, many people are taking their temperatures throughout the day. Just checking to make sure everything is still good. But the question apparently is… “WHERE do I store my thermometer?!”

In some Gary Pottery apparently…

And then the “trend” seemed to be catching on…
and showing up on the text thread…

But then the question was… Where are the apples???
Oh, right there next to the mini vase… now called a thermometer holder!

And some people seemed to have too many apples… which look yummy...
so they needed an additional “apple bowl”

And then another entry in the mix…
not quite sure that thermometer will tell you if you have the flu or not… but it will tell you if you’re poultry, lamb or smoked ham!!!

But again the question… Where are the apples?!

Apparently this time… not “quite” an apple, or at least not a natural apple… but the faux apple does look pretty great on this large green stamped platter!

As the trend of apples & Gary Pottery seemed to be catching on… another entry of an Apple with “one of Gary’s rare cat steins.” Well played…

To which I quickly responded… “That cat stein is SO RARE that I’d be lying… err, make that fe-lyin’… to say that I’ve ever made one of those.”

Matthew’s response was… “But how do you explain this?”

Apparently I had “signed” the bottom of this??? HA!!!
I had just forgotten & blocked this one out of my memory!!!

Categories: glaze, pottery, process, production

After several days of glazing & wadding, my studio cart was finally full… which tends to pretty much “equal” a full soda kiln’s worth of work. Sure, I probably could have gotten this all done a little sooner… if it had not been so amazingly beautiful outside this week “forcing me” to go play on my bike… repeatedly!

And in case you’re wondering, the masking tape works as a “safety belt” to keep pieces from jumping off the shelves as the transport the cart full of work from my studio downstairs to the kiln room via the rickety freight elevator!

Categories: bowls, pottery

Loving the shadows coming through this berry bowl and splashing across the table. Brightly colored glaze playing in the sun. If you happen to need a berry bowl… there are still some available in My Online Pottery Shop. Click here to start shopping!