Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: Chicago, inspiration, photography, special events, sunrise

So Christmas is officially over, and my gifts have been given with proper surprise.
So now I can share my good news with the rest of you. I didn’t want to share too soon
and ruin the surprise for those who were getting a copy of the book for Christmas!!!
If you run into my friends Gerry & Rosene, don’t tell them… they haven’t gotten their gift yet.
Shhh… keep it quiet… but only from them!

So it’s official – the Chicago photography book published by CBS2 Chicago
has finally been published and distribution has begun. And I made the cut… twice!
Two of my photos were chosen to be published in the book.
I’m very excited!!!
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For those who may not remember, sometime last Fall, CBS2 Chicago announced this special
project on their news broadcasts. My dad turned me on to it and I started submitting photos.
The deal was that they were accepting photographs that depicted life in the City.
Photographers from all over submitted images to the website – which were then put up to an
online popularity poll. The more votes your images received, the more likely your image was
to be published in the book. So I submitted several photos, many from my morning biking
sunrise series, and hoped for the best. It wasn’t until early December that we found out
if we had been chosen by the book’s editors for the publication. And I was excited to
make it into the book twice – against a LOT of stiff competition!!!

2,480 photographers

28,144 photos submitted

2,388,443 votes cast

So… after all of that, one of my images found a place on Page 68 in the “Scapes Of All Sorts”
section of the book. It was one of my favorite biking moments of the summer. A surreal
biking moment when the morning fog was literally “illuminated” by the rising sun.

“Misty Morning Glow”

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My second image chosen was used on Page 24 in the title page montage (top row, fourth
from the left) for the “Arts, Culture & Food” section of the book. Again, it’s of of my favorites –
this time, it’s my favorite “hidden gem” inside the Chicago Cultural Center…
a beautiful Tiffany stained glass dome in the rotunda.

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So that’s it… another great experience… and another great chance to be published!
I hope you all get a chance to find a copy of the book and enjoy the many beautiful images
that capture the essence of Chicago…  and have you heard?… two of them are mine!!!

Categories: bike, inspiration, process, sunrise

It’s been a wonderful season of biking. With over a hundred mornings of sunrise photos!
However, the forecast isn’t so good… it’s supposed to snow tomorrow! I’m okay with cold…
I’m okay with wind… but I’m not a big fan of riding through snow& frozen puddles –
especially since the first half of the ride is in complete darkness!! Not too safe. So…
sadly, this may be the last sunrise photo of the season? Although I’m still hoping for another
“warm spell” so I can get back out just a few more times!

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Categories: bike, seasons, sunrise

Today is December… and I’m still riding my bike in the morning before work!
Although it’s not bright, sunny & “summery” any more…

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Categories: inspiration, nature, sunrise
Categories: bike, Chicago, sunrise

A little cloudy this morning over the lake.
Dramatic clouds crossing the sky… with a sliver of a sunrise breaking on the horizon.

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Then I turned around and headed back home…
as the sunrise began to brighten the incredible skyline behind my back!

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Categories: bike, sunrise
Categories: bike, sunrise

Another morning ride with a lot of drama as the clouds swept across the horizon…
along with some gusty winds to accompany them!

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Categories: bike, sunrise

Another beautiful morning… like seeing the world through rose-colored glasses!

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Categories: bike, sunrise

It was a “pretty” sunrise over Lake Michigan this morning.
Finally a sunrise that actually broke through and showed up for the day!
Enough fog… enough clouds… enough rain. Finally some sun!!!

Sadly, it was also “pretty cold” this morning as I headed out for my morning ride!
As I passed the marquee at Dunkin’ Donuts… it said 34-degrees!
And that’s “pretty darn cold”.

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Categories: inspiration, nature, pottery, process, production, stamps, sunrise, textures

Another night of stamping in the studio. More pots… more stamps… more fun!
Still working to get some new work ready for the holidays. I have three glaze kilns lined up
in the coming weeks… gotta get the pieces thrown, stamped & trimmed…
and dried in time to get them bisqued & glazed for the kiln firings! Busy, busy…

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