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

After picking-up my new clay at Continental Clay…
I also took a little side trip to a friend’s pottery studio.
Lucky for me, she’s not a big fan of reclaiming her own clay?!
So I loaded several bags of dried porcelain scraps into my car
before heading home. WHOO-HOO!!!

Just break it up… add water… soak.. a little labor… FREE CLAY!!!

Categories: clay, process, studio

One of the “benefits” of being stuck in my studio all day yesterday while firing the soda kiln… is being able to get a lot of side odd projects done. Like turning out my latest batch of reclaimed clay… now sitting on a large plaster bat drying up until it’s good to wedge up and start over with some new “free” clay!!!

Categories: mugs, process, production, studio

Got a little “Clayhenge” popping up on my studio table… little nuggets of clay pressed & compressed into carrot-shapes getting ready to turn them into mug handles!

Categories: process, production, studio, tools

Just getting ready for a little trimming session… and I’ve got my two favorites ready to go… my DiamondCore Tools & my Giffin Grip posts!

Time to get spinning, time to get trimming!

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped, studio

Score, slip, attach, repeat… repeat.. repeat… Another batch of mugs assembled… now they just need some colored flashing slip accents & details! Just hoping to get them all done before I go down to teach class tonight!!

Happy Mugshot Monday!!!

Categories: process, production, studio, tools

Cutting ribbons… spinning clay… trimming bottoms! So much easier, quicker, cleaner & a lot more fun with DiamondCore Tools & my Giffin Grip – the perfect pottery studio duo!!!

Categories: mugs, stamped, studio, tools

Just getting ready to tackle a new batch of mugs… getting ready for some fun trimming, which we all know I LOVE!!! Especially with my line-up of trimming tools from DiamondCore Tools.

Categories: process, production, studio

Getting ready to pull some mug handles. Starting with carrot-shaped nuggets of clay… but it looks a bit like Stonehenge has toppled over like Dominoes?!

Categories: studio, tools

You know how you tend to unknowingly “collect” tools… left behind by students… found on the floor… randomly on your shelf… found in the sink… and when you finally clean out your tool boxes you start “gathering” tools and suddenly you have this great “art installation” of wire tools in your studio!!! Well, I think I have enough wire tools to last me awhile… but I may need to employ a couple summer campers to untangle them for me this summer?!

Categories: process, production, studio, tools

More trimming, more fun.
You know how I love trimming…
especially with my DiamondCore Tools & Giffin Grip!
Two of my favorite tools working well together to get the job done.
Spinning fast, gripping tight & trimming sharp!
Especially on these pieces still left over from last session… before the holidays!!!