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

Definitely feeling the Spring vibes here with some colored slip accents on my bisqued mugs. Getting ready start glazing these… inlaid glaze in the stamps & a tenmoku liner glaze. Then it’s off to the soda kiln this weekend where these colored slips will react & flash with the soda atmosphere during firing. The colors should become darker, richer & more saturated… if all goes as planned?!

Categories: kiln firing, pottery, process, production, stamped, vases

Plenty of bisque piling up waiting to be glazed & wadded. First-up… inlaying a tenmoku glaze into the stamped impressions for high tener contrast after the soda-firing. Here we go… giddy-up!

Categories: kiln firing, process, production
Categories: kiln firing, process, production

Loaded a bisque kiln getting ready for next weekend’s soda kiln firing. Lots of mugs. Lots of flower pots. Lots of vases. This kiln filled up a LOT faster than I expected. Looking forward to unloading so I can start glazing & wadding. I’ve got a lot of work to get done before I’m scheduled to load the soda kiln on Friday.

Kiln Layer #1 –

Kiln Layer #2 –

Kiln Layer #3 –

Kiln Layer #3-1/2 –

Categories: process, production, stamped

Okay, so my lidded oval casseroles now have some accents & details painted with colored flashing slips. I’m hoping to get these done & glazed in time for next weekend’s soda firing. Sure, I’m running a bit late… and trying to dry them quicker by raising them on a plastic grid to get air circulation on all sides… but I seem to work best under pressure. Fingers crossed.

Categories: process, production, stamped

Okay, so today I finally got around to making lids… oval lids for oval casseroles! Sure, the bottoms have been under plastic for awhile… spraying here, spraying there. I think they’re fitting pretty well… just a little more refinement before I add some colored slip accents.

Categories: color, mugs, process, production, stamped

Sure, I could leave the mugs plain… and worry about adding some color when I glaze them. But since these are destined for the soda kiln… I’d rather give them some color now with colored slips that will change as the flames touch them in the kiln… depositing the soda mixture that will also “glaze’ the exteriors!

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped

Scored & slipped… handles attached! We officially have more mugs!!!
A labor of love… as in “I truly love making mugs!”

Categories: mugs, process, production

Pulled some handles… and flipped them around so they can stand-up with a nice curve to set-up. Once they stiffen up a bit, I’ll start attaching them to my mugs. Score, slip, attach, repeat… and repeat… and repeat…

Categories: mugs, process, production

Here we go… making mugs again! My favorite thing to make!!! And today I’ve got a lot of handles to attach… because without a handle it’s NOT a mug!!! So I’m starting with some nuggets of clay… getting ready to pull my handles.