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

Back in the studio for another VERY quiet night alone… stamping some more porcelain patterns! One-by-one. All the way around. So much more fun when there are people around the place to distract me from getting my work done!

Categories: porcelain, process, production, stamped, stamps

Tonight I got to do a little stamping here & there… and there… and there… just a few more porcelain cylinders working their towards becoming more mugs!!!

Categories: platters, process, production, stamped, stamps, wheelthrowing

Still staying safe… still social distancing… still trying to get some work done. I’m hoping that when all this craziness passes… people will be flooding to the art fairs to stock-up on some new pottery… and I want to be ready!!! Until then, I’m gonna keep making pots to help keep my own “sanity.” I hope everyone out there is staying safe, staying strong & staying healthy!!!

Categories: platters, stamped, stamps

Celebrating TEXTURE TUESDAY with a little stamped texture around the rim of this platter. Stamp by stamp. One by one… by one… by one!!!

Categories: bowls, porcelain, process, production, stamped, stamps

Just a little early morning stamping going on… no sunrise bike ride in the rain!!! Instead, playing with some stamped patterns on these little porcelain bowls.

All stamped for now… back under plastic so they can stiffen up a bit more… and then I get to trim some footrings onto the bottoms of them!

Categories: classes, food, stamps

We kicked off NATIONAL OREO COOKIE DAY just a little bit early… last night when one of my THROWDOWN students made a mini ceramic OREO!!! Yes!!! Christine found this amazing metal stamp online and knew “we just had to have it”!!! Oh, the possibilities!

Now let’s not get crazy…
I’m still eating actual OREOs today to celebrate this momentous occasion!!!

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: 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!!!

Categories: stamped, stamps

Working in the studio tonight doing a little stamping.
Looks like more mugs in the making. Go figure.