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

Let the handle attachments commence… round two for tonight…
making mugs out of cylinders!!!

Categories: mugs, process, production

Just pulled another batch of handles…
I’m in the middle of a long night of adding handles to make mugs!
One dozen done… got another dozen to go!!!

Categories: mugs, process, production

A quick round of throwing more mugs… as well as loading a bisque kiln…
and then sub-teaching Lisa Harris’ class. Already got a lot done…
and the day is still young!!!

Categories: process, production, wheelthrowing

Because I prefer a flower pot with a separate water drip plate.

Categories: process, production, tools

Just setting up for an early morning trimming session.
Always better when you ave some great tools to work with… like my Bison Trimming Tools!

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped, stamps

Last night I finished off the latest batch of mugs with some final accents & detailing with colored flashing slips. So now they’re drying before they go into a bisque kiln… and then glazed… and then into the soda kiln where these flashing slips will change colors as they get hit with the flames & the soda atmosphere!

Categories: classes, process, production

After class last night, I happened to see two of my THROWDOWN students working on feverishly on their homework project in another classroom. I tried my best not to peek… not to see… not to get a glimpse… I tried, really I did... but I LOVED this pile of orange masking tape that Jacob was using to help with his detailed underglaze applications. Okay, I will say this… from what I “didn’t see”… these two projects are going to be AMAZING!!!

Can’t wait to see them “finished” tomorrow night in class!
Because I didn’t see them yet… much… maybe… okay, just a little… how could I not?…

Categories: mugs, process, production

Celebrating another Mugshot Monday by making another batch of MUGS!!!
All assembled tonight… for tomorrow they’ll get some colored flashing slip accents painted on!

Categories: mugs, process, production

Pulling handles… and loving the shadows!!!

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

So I spent part of the day today stamping my latest batch of cylinders destined to become MUGS!!! You know they’re my favorite thing to make… and my “default” if I don’t have a real plan going into the studio! So it was a good day… lots of stamping… lots of patterns… lots of FUN!!!

And making it a little “extra” fun… these are the first cylinders that I’ve stamped using the new batch of stamps I made a couple weeks ago! It’s always fun to see what patterns they actually make after bisque firing… both as single stamps, as well as in multiple repetitions!

Mug A

Mug B

Mug C

Mug D

Mug E

Mug F

Mug G

Mug H

Mug I

Mug J

Mug K

Mug L

Mug K

And for now they’re all under wraps for the night. I hope to get them trimmed tomorrow… and quite possible get some handles on them too!!!