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

Bottoms trimmed… one step closer to becoming “hybrid mugs”!
We just need to add some handles tomorrow!

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

Taking my textured slabs & turning them into another batch of my “hybrid mugs.” Adding a little handbuilding to the wheelthrown bases. Always fun to play with patterns & textures… made so much easier with textured hand rollers from MKM Pottery Tools.

Categories: mugs, production, stamped

Time to wrap them for the night so they can dry a little slower. Letting moisture-levels balance out overnight so I can add some accents of colored flashing slips tomorrow! Another batch of mugs for another MUGSHOT MONDAY… and now off to teach class !!!

Categories: mugs, process, production

Time to start attaching to make some new mugs!
Score, slip, attach, repeat… repeat… repeat… and hopefully done before teaching class tonight?!

Categories: mugs, process, production, soda-fired

One step further in the “life” of my hybrid mug production. So tonight I dipped the textured slab portion of the mugs in a thin flashing slip that will change colors when these get soda-fired. The bottom part… the wheelthrown bottoms will remain raw clay for a nice contrast after soda-firing!

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped

Just adding some finishing touches on this latest batch of mugs… a few accents of colored flashing slip! If all goes as planned, these slip accents will change colors & get some cool flashing effects in the soda kiln. So for now they can start drying, then off to a bisque firing.

Categories: mugs, process, production, textures, tools

So here they are… wheelthrown on the bottoms, handbuilt on the sides! They still need some refining, trimming & handles… but they’re well on their way to a new batch of “hybrid mugs.” And see how well the patterns & textures from MKM Pottery Tools hold-up even when being manipulated into mugs!!!

Categories: glaze, holiday, process, production

The kiln is loaded & firing… with a LOT of new Christmas Trees for this weekend’s SECOND HOLIDAY HOME SHOW! It seemed like the ones with stars & holes were the big hit last time… so I made another large batch with holes & stars!!! It’s beginning to look a LOT like Christmas!!!

And if there are any left after this weekend’s HOME SHOW,
does anyone want a quickie online Facebook Sale?!
Is there a preference?… late Sunday night or early Monday morning???

Categories: glaze, holiday, process, production

A little early morning glazing session. Working on the newest batch of Christmas trees for next weekend’s SECOND HOLIDAY HOME SHOW! Trying to replenish the shelves for those missed-out the first time!!!

Categories: holiday, process, production

After the first HOLIDAY HOME SHOW, I could tell that a lot of people liked the Christmas trees with pierced holes for candles or fairy lights. So, that’s what I’m making more of… and today was the day to trim & drill holes!!!