Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: challenge, classes, patterns, stamped, textures, tools

A lot of texture rolling & pattern pressing happened in class last Thursday night for the LILLSTREET THROWDOWN. I gave them a task… and my MKM Pottery Tools hand rollers for the night! Some students had never really handbuilt before… but they were all eager to start rolling!!! Such great patterns… thank you MKM!!!

Categories: mugs, production, stamped

Time to wrap them for the night so they can dry a little slower. Letting moisture-levels balance out overnight so I can add some accents of colored flashing slips tomorrow! Another batch of mugs for another MUGSHOT MONDAY… and now off to teach class !!!

Categories: food, platters, soda-fired, stamped

Celebrating NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY… with an ooey-gooey chocolate, marshmallow fluff & fudge cake! My traditional birthday cake… but I made it this time to celebrate my Cousin Kim’s big birthday… a week early… SURPRISE!!!

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped

Just adding some finishing touches on this latest batch of mugs… a few accents of colored flashing slip! If all goes as planned, these slip accents will change colors & get some cool flashing effects in the soda kiln. So for now they can start drying, then off to a bisque firing.

Categories: mugs, soda-fired, stamped

When cleaning out a shelving unit to take down Christmas decorations, and switch to her next “theme”… Rosene found these two mugs that she had been coveting… but resisted & didn’t buy for herself.

Instead, they “may have” just been left behind one day “hidden” in the shelves for her to find. It took a couple months… but she finally found these two surprise gifts hidden amongst some Christmas decorations!!!

Categories: platters, stamped

Celebrating a little TEXTURE TUESDAY with a quick-pick of Rosene’s platter… with more than a few stamped impressions! Pretty enough… but always prettier with a big chocolate cake on top!!! Just sayin’… hint, hint…

Categories: mugs, soda-fired, stamped

When bad things happen to good mugs… looks like Bill’s favorite mug went for a tumble. It was apparently his favorite mug… so he’s already looking for a good replacement. Gravity can be a terrible thing!

Categories: food, friends, holiday, platters, pottery, stamped

Looks like I wasn’t the only one who made homemade chocolate chip cookies for New Years Eve! My friends Mike & Patty also made a batch… and served them on one of my stamped platters! As everyone knows that homemade food tastes even better on handmade pottery! Even Casey their boxer had his eye on them!

Categories: bowls, holiday, soda-fired, stamped, surface decoration

Wishing you all a wonderful 2024.
Thank you for making my 2023 so much fun & so successful.
I’m looking forward to another year full of adventures, art fairs & pottery…
and most likely a sunrise here & there along the way!

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay fun!!!

Categories: food, Mom, platters, stamped, Taylor

It’s the end of the year and I’m busy making a big batch of chocolate chip cookies for tonight’s festivities. Reminiscing about yummy cookies… how my Mom used to bake them for my art fairs… how my niece Taylor has occasionally taken over “cookie duty”… and so many other end-of-the-year thoughts. Seems like the perfect time for cookies!