Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: hybrid mugs, process, production

Textured slabs attached… another batch of hybrid mugs well under way. Next up… trimming & handles. Thanks again to my assortment of handrollers from MKM Pottery Tools for the fun textures & patterns!

Categories: process, production

More than ten pieces thrown before 10:00am!
Starting out with some simple “bottoms”… hope to be adding the sides later today!!!

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped

Celebrating another Mugshot Monday with another batch of stamped mugs.
Handles attached… next they need some accents of colored flashing slips!!!

Categories: mugs, process, production

Pulling handles… making more mugs… again!

Categories: kiln firing, process, production

After a couple hours of loading the kiln… shelf by shelf… brick by brick… pot by pot… I finally filled all three stacks to the top. I managed to pack in a LOT of pots. Trying my best to maximize the firing fee vs. pots being fired. Hoping for good soda “glaze” coverage & some nice flashing effects. Also hoping for an easy firing in the new kiln… without too many surprises along the way!!!

Categories: glaze, process, production

Last night when I finished glazing & wadding, it was time to take my studio cart down to the kiln room. It’s a rickety old freight elevator… so I use strips of masking tape as makeshift “seat belts” to keep pots from jumping off the shelves in the way down!

Categories: process, production

A little early morning trimming! I’m trying to speed-up the drying process a bit. So they’re drying upside-down on elevated plastic grids. Better air circulation on all sides this way.

Categories: flower pots, process, stamped, terra cotta

Mental note to self… during an early-morning trimming session, don’t leave a stamped pot “unattended “ on the wheel. Because you might accidentally step on the pedal while you’re sitting down. And then bad things might happen.

Oh well, it’s just clay! 🤣

Categories: mugs, process, production

Just me here painting some accents of colored flashing slip on this next batch of mugs.
The colored slip should turn orange & show good flashing marks after being soda-fired.

Categories: hybrid mugs, mugs, process, production, surface decoration, textures, tools

Here’s my latest batch of hybrid mugs… with groovy cool patterns & textures made with some of my newest MKM Pottery Tools handrollers. Now they just need some flashing slip while they’re still leatherhard. Then it’s off to drying, bisque firing, glazing, wadding & soda-firing. Still a long ways to go before these are ready to go!!! Lots of steps… not just in the making, but also in the finishing.