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

Still working on a bunch of lidded jars in the studio. Good news that the lids all seem to fit!!! Sure, I’ve got a lot of trimming & finishing to do. The lids were thrown off-the-hump… so I still need to pull off that extra “cookie” of clay before trimming.

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped

Just finishing up the latest batch of mugs…
adding handles tonight while self-isolating again in my studio!
It’s kinda weird working in my studio these days. I’m so used to having more people around to play with & to chat with. And these days… there’s NO ONE HERE!!! Kinda scary. Kinda weird!!!

Categories: process, production, stamped, stamps

And while I was already in the studio stamping… I decided I might as well just continue & stamp the lidded jars that were already under plastic in my studio. So I did… I mean, I was already there!

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped, stamps

Just a quick “tour” while I was stamping my latest batch of mugs… showing the plain mug after throwing, after being stamped, as well as the handmade clay stamp that did the hard work! I was just there pressing…

Mug #1 –

Mug #2 –

Mug #3 –

Mug #4 –

Mug #5 –

Mug #6 –

Mug #7 –

Mug #8 –

Mug #9 –

Mug #10 –

Mug #11 –

So for now they’re all stamped and under wraps for the night. I will most likely trim them tomorrow night, and then try to get handles on the on Monday… what a great way to celebrate another Mugshot Monday than by making more mugs!!!

Categories: bowls, food, soda-fired, stamped

Looks like Judy has been doing a bit of cooking while quarantined at home. Trying to stay healthy with some colorful carrots & peppers… in a sweet little stamped bowl by little ol’ me!

Categories: friends, soda-fired, stamped, tiles

While everyone is still sheltered-in-place, it’s good to see my friends are keeping up with their Disney Trivia… all the while “fireplace surround-ed” by some handmade, stamped, textured & soda-fired tiles! A little Throwback Thursday to a project I installed a few years ago out in the suburbs!

Categories: bowls, process, production, stamped, stamps

So I finally finished stamping a new batch of bowls. I’ve been trying to stay productive and get into the studio as often as possible… but with all of the craziness going on these days, it’s tough. Luckily, my studio is very safe & isolated these days. Lillstreet has been closed to the public for weeks now, and I am seemingly the ONLY person there working at night… safely “trapped” in my own little work space… well-isolated from anyone else! And as a potter, I feel like I’m washing my hands ALL the time!!!

So they’ve been stamped… and now they’re all under wraps waiting to be trimmed… and then fired… and then glazed… and fired again! I remembered to take photos of the stamps that did the magic… well, for some of them any ways?!

Bowl A

Bowl B

Bowl C –

Bowl D –

Bowl E –

Bowl F –

Bowl G –

Bowl H –

Bowl I –

Bowl J –

Bowl K –

Categories: bowls, process, production, stamped, textures

Stamping more bowls… just adding some textures & patterns around the rims to celebrate another TEXTURE TUESDAY!

Categories: mugs, soda-fired, stamped

Mugshot Monday… Mugshot Moments.
Just a few detail shots to celebrate the day & celebrate the mug!
You know they’re my favorite thing to make!!!

Categories: flowers, holiday, soda-fired, stamped, vases

Just bringing a little bit of Spring inside with just a few snips!
No huge centerpiece… just my take on a Spring ikebana floral arrangement.
Seemed fitting for the day!

Oh, what to do with the tiny little leftover snips?…
put them in a tiny little vase of course!