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

Bright & sunny outside… but I’m trying my best to stay focused & productive inside! The sun is streaming in through the studio windows and creating some cool shadows as my platters continue to dry.

Okay… truth be told… MY studio has no windows! But my friend & studio-neighbor Karen has windows and plenty of unused table space! Well, “unused” until I needed to spread out just a bit. Thanks Karen… we miss you!

Categories: platters, process, production, stamped

Did a little stamping again… go figure.
Always fun to see what kind of pattern emerges using just one stamp over & over again! This pattern & this stamp are quickly becoming one of my new favorites!

Categories: ornaments, process, production, stamped

Added some accents & details of colored flashing slips onto my latest batch of holiday ornaments. Hopefully these colors will “pop” after the soda-firing! Which is coming up very quickly… it’s THIS Saturday!!!

Categories: ornaments, process, production

Trimmed, stamped & top rings attached…
and now they’re starting to look more like Christmas ornaments, right?!

Categories: process, production, stamped, stamps

Doing some more repetitive stamping on a couple larger pieces tonight… row by row, layer by layer… one stamp at a time!

Categories: kiln firing, process, production

My most recent bisque kiln layer by layer… getting ready to start glazing for my next soda kiln which is just two weeks away! Yikes!!! Not my tightest packing ever… but I needed to move things along as I’m still making more pieces for the next bisque!

Bisque Kiln Layer #1 –

Bisque Kiln Layer #2 –

Bisque Kiln Layer #3 –

Bisque Kiln Layer #4 –

Categories: process, production, stamped, stamps, vases

Making some mini vases in the studio today…
and of course, mini vases need mini stamps, right?!

Categories: mugs, process, production

Cylinders trimmed & handles pulled… time to start attaching!
Making more MUGS!!!

Categories: process, production, tools

After playing in the fog yesterday, I figured I better hunker down and get some work done in the studio today! I mean, it’s still raining outside so I have no diversions, no excuses! So I’m starting with some trimming with my DiamondCore Tools & my fast-spinning Giffin Grip! A perfect studio combo!!!

Categories: clay, mugs, process, production, stamped, stamps

So I’ve been stamping another batch of mugs! A little “something” different as they wre made with a new kind of clay. A tilemaker friend of mine bought some new clay and didn’t like how it “felt” when he started using it. And then when he fired his tiles, they all cracked during the firing. So he believes there might be something wrong with the clay?! He passed it on to me to give it a try… and here I did. I will agree it felt a little goopey & sticky… a little more finicky… but ultimately I made some cylinders for mugs. It was a little tougher to get them to stand up & hold their shape. But I’m sure I’ll get used to it… as he’s planning on passing his “bad” clay onto me!!! Bring it on… CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!

Mug 1 – before & after…

Mug 2 – before & after…

Mug 3 – before & after…

Mug 4 – before & after…

Mug 5 – before & after…

Mug 6 – before & after…

Mug 7 – before & after…

Mug 8 – before & after…

Mug 9 – before & after…

So for now