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

Enjoying the heat of the oven yesterday as I baked a batch of brownies to share with friends!
I figured a dinner party with friends can always use some homemade brownies…
and the hostess “might just” get to keep the bowl too!!!

Categories: hybrid mugs, mugs, process, production, stamped, surface decoration

One last thing before they dry… I added a layer of colored flashing slip to my batch of hybrid mugs. At some point, these mugs will be soda-fired so they should change to shades of oranges & yellows during the atmospheric firing.

Categories: hybrid mugs, mugs, stamped, surface decoration, textures

They’re coming along nicely… a fresh batch of hybrid mugs in the works!
Next up… trimming, then handles!

Categories: stamped, textures, tools

Here we go again… starting another batch of hybrid mugs. The coneflower pattern from my friends at MKM Pottery Tools was so popular last summer… I figured I should make more of them for this summer’s art fairs!

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

Accents painted & done! These mugs will be bisqued & then soda-fired. So they will not get any glaze on the exterior except for a little tenmoku in each stamped impression. The raw clay & colored flashing slips will transform in the kiln due to the firing process creating a nice “glazed” shine & flashing effects. Each one totally different based on where the flames hit it during the soda firing.

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped

Handles attached… we now “officially” have mugs!!!

I’m a firm believer that by definition a “mug” needs a handle!
While some of my students might try to convince me otherwise… I’m not buyin’ it!!!

Categories: process, production, stamped, surface decoration

And for now they’re all going back under plastic so they can dry slightly to leatherhard clay. Then it’s trimming & adding of handles… and soon enough, these will become mugs!!!

Categories: mugs, stamped, surface decoration

Been stamping some mug cylinders this morning. Adding some textures & patterns to the sides. Pressing in each stamp one by one… by one… by one…

Categories: soda-fired, stamped

Looks like my cousin Kim has created a nice “constellation” of textured wall discs in her dining room. Different sizes & different textures all coming together into one art installation. Thanks for sharing Kim!

Categories: mugs, soda-fired, stamped

Kickin’ it off with my first Mugshot Monday of the NEW YEAR!!!
All the way from Nova Scotia where this one landed to live with the rest of Shannon’s mug collection! Looking great out in the Canadian Wilderness!