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

More “hybrid mugs”… with bottoms thrown on the wheel, textured slabs attached by hand, then back on the wheel for shaping & refining. And then today… back on the wheel yet again for a nicely trimmed bottom with a sharp-looking footring!!! Handles coming soon…

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: production, stamped, vases

Little stamping session to start the day… little vases with little stamps!

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: 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.