Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: soda-fired

Not all good things come out of a soda kiln! Every once in awhile you get a little extra sumthin’-sumthin’ that you hadn’t planned on. A little “gift” from the kiln gods. Like this splotch of soda build-up that looks like cooled lava? Surprising though… as this wall pocket vase was sitting flat horizontally on the shelf… and yet somehow the glop landed INSIDE the back edge??? ugh… one of the many joys of soda-firing!!!

Categories: hybrid mugs, soda-fired, stamped

Just another batch of hybrid mugs… ready to unload from this past weekend’s soda kiln. Refilling my “inventory” for this weekend’s art fair in Glenview! This Saturday & Sunday it’s ART IN THE GARDEN with a group of my talented friends!!!

Some of these will be there… and some will make their appearance at ART IN THE BARN a couple weeks later in Barrington!

Categories: kiln firing, soda-fired, stamped

A quick glimpse into my soda kiln… starting with a pretty perfect cone 10 !!!

Categories: pottery, soda-fired, stamped

And a little more eye candy… views from the front stack of this weekend’s soda kiln firing. Just in time for next weekends art fair in Glenview, Illinois. It’s time for ART IN THE GARDEN… a grassroots art fair with a bunch of artistic friends all pulling together to throw a pretty great art fair.

Categories: kiln firing, process, production, soda-fired

So it took my just about three hours to fully load the soda kiln… kinda like Pottery Tetris! Trying to fit in as much as possible, all the while trying to leave some space for air to flow through during the firing. The soda atmosphere needs to get in between everything to leave its glazed finish. I piled a LOT of work into this one! The back stack is a single shelf filled first to the top. Then front stack is a double-shelf filled up to the arch. It’s packed tight… so it might be a long firing today?!

Categories: kiln firing, soda-fired

Last night started with an empty soda kiln… full of possibilities.

Categories: bowls, family, food, soda-fired, stamped

Spent today playing hooky with my cousin Kim. We had a lot of great adventures & laughs along the way. We ended up at her place… where I saw her peach tree FULL of peaches. Too many peaches? Is there such a thing?… yes! They were EVERYWHERE!!! I can’t even imagine stepping out my back door to find hundreds of peaches at arms length. Crazy!!!

And yes… of course she sent me home with a bunch of homegrown peaches!!! So yummy!!!

Categories: art fair, soda-fired, stamped

Lots of new pots from my recent soda kiln. It’s just rough figuring out which ones get to come with me to the art fair!!! My car only holds so many crates of pots. So I’m making some tough choices… not everyone gets to come out to play this weekend!!!

GLENVIEW SUNMER ART FAIR
Saturday, July 19th & Sunday, July 20th – 11:00am-5:00pm
Lyon School in Glenview, Illinois – Lake & Waukegan Roads

Categories: art fair, mugs, soda-fired

I set up my tent & shelves in Booth 31 this afternoon This evening I’m in the basement cleaning, pricing & packing pottery for this weekend’s GLENVIEW SUMMER ART FAIR!!! Currently on mugs… but a lot more still to get to tonight!! Hoping to be all ready for this weekend soon!

Categories: art fair, lidded jars, soda-fired, stamped

This weekend in the north suburbs… the GLENVIEW SUMMER ART FAIR!!! Lots of talented artists filling the park to show off their handmade wares. I’ll be there with plenty of fresh pots looking for their new forever home! This Saturday & Sunday on the grassy grounds of Lyon School on the corner of Lake & Waukegan Roads.