Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
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!!!

Categories: art fair, mugs, studio

The PROCRASTINATOR’S POP-UP SHOP is open today…
and apparently I am NOT the only one looking for last-minute gifts!

A few mugs have already found their way under someone’s Christmas tree! I’ll be here until 7:00pm in case you need still need to check a couple names off your holiday gift list!

Lillstreet Art Center – second floor studios!
4401 North Ravenswood, Chicago – Studio 205 West.

Categories: art fair, mugs, studio

Just pulling together “a few” more mugs for tomorrow’s PROCRASTINATOR’S POP-UP SHOP in my studio! I’ll have over a hundred mugs there to choose from for those last-minute names still on your holiday shopping list… or yourself! I’ll be in my studio from 10:00am-7:00pm if you want to stop by for a few mugs… the more you buy, the better the holiday deals!

Lillstreet Art Center Studios – second floor
4401 North Ravenswood, Studio 205 West, Chicago, IL 60640

Categories: ornaments, process, studio

So this is what happens when you grab that little scrap of plastic on your worktable… give the clay inside a little squish… and only THEN realize that it has the ornament that you just trimmed about ten minutes ago!!! Ugh.

Must stay focused… just trying to finish up a few last minute projects in the studio before the holidays!

Categories: process, production, studio

Just spending a little “quality time” with my diamond grinding disc from DiamondCore Tools !!! Cleaning off a few drippy soda-fired. bottoms. Notice the mug bottom before & after… plus a few more to come!

Just put the grinding bat on the wheel, wet the disc, wet the pot, press… spin… grind… CLEAN!!! Thank you DiamondCore Tools for making this ugly task so much easier & smoother!!!

Categories: clay, process, studio

Goopey-gloppy fun! Another wonderful pile of reclaimed clay. Lots of scraps, trimmings & dried clay reconstituted into new clay!!! Now I just need to let it sit here on my plaster bat for a few days to help suck out the extra moisture… and then it’s just a LOT of wedging until it’s back to good re-usable FREE CLAY!

Categories: color, process, production, studio

Good thing my new underglazes arrived in time… the new batch of Ghouls wouldn’t be nearly as cute if they were all terra cotta “rusty orange” colored! Some times some Ghouls really need some RED!!!

Categories: process, production, studio, terra cotta, The Ghouls Collection

Made some good progress on the newest Ghoul today.
Still have a LONG ways to go… but for now, they’re under wraps for the night!

Categories: glaze, process, production, studio

So it’s been a very busy couple of weeks… finishing up Summer Camp AND throwing & glazing a lot of pots. I loaded the soda kiln late Friday night after the final day of camp. My studio cart travels from the second floor to the first floor kiln room on a rickety freight elevator. So I use a lot of masking tape as “seat belts” so none of them jump off along the way!

Categories: art fair, artists, process, production, stamped, studio

All done & drying… spouted, stamped & slip-painted… ready to go… currently cooling in the soda kiln! Okay, another belated photo posting. Now they’re almost ready for ART IN THE GARDEN next weekend in Glenview. These might “allegedly” be part of a collaboration project with my friend & “cohort in collaboration” Cory McCrory!!!