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

Still glazing… this time I’m on the pots that came out of yesterday’s bisque kiln. Cute little oval vases with a fun strappy handles to help separate the flowers. And if one handle is cute… maybe two handles are even cuter?!!! Larger version with two handles & textured panels on each side!

Categories: glaze, process, production, stamped

Moving right along! Filling the stamps with glaze & then wiping off the top surface with a wet sponge. It leaves the dark tenmoku glaze inside the stamp to really make the texture pop! Then a quick liner glaze with the same tenmoku… clean the edges with a wet sponge… and we’re almost done!!!

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped

While another bisque kiln is firing, this first batch is ready to start glazing.
Lined up & ready for the first step… doing a little glaze inlay into the stamped impressions.

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped, television

Working in the studio adding some colored slip accents & details to my mugs. Celebrating Mughshot Monday… and what better time to watch “The Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown” watching potters succeed & fail on Reality TV. Also fun to see that my Lillstreet Throwdown’ers had already done some of the same challenges in their class!!!

Categories: bowls, process, production, stamped, stamps

Still working in the studio… and I’ve moved on to stamping some serving bowls. Just have to pick the stamps I want to use… and then start pressing them into the “softer-than-leatherhard” clay one by one… by one… by one…

Categories: process, production, wheelthrowing

Early morning production… just trying to crank out one last batch of mugs before my next soda kiln!!!

Categories: process, production, stamped, vases

Just added some handles to this latest batch of oval vases. Not only do I think they’re kinda cute… but they should also help spread & hold the flowers in place! Working towards filling another kiln or two… the summer art fairs are coming soon!!!

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!!!

Categories: hybrid mugs, mugs, process, production

Handles attached and setting-up a bit. A lot of scoring & slipping… attaching & smoothing.

I tell my students all the time… I love making handles & I love making mugs.
Two relatively unpopular opinions!

Categories: mugs, process, production

Handles pulled…looped over… and starting to set-up
before I begin attaching them to the newest batch of hybrid mugs!