Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: pumpkins, terra cotta, The Ghouls Collection

So now I’m “juggling” ghouls & pumpkins in the studio. Now that I’ve started them both, I gotta get them all finished… DEADLINES!!! So here I’m adding feet & warts to the pumpkins… as I’m a firm believer that all pumpkins should have fun warts on them!!!

Categories: handbuilding, terra cotta, The Ghouls Collection

So I’m back on “Ghoul production”… and I’ve decided they could use some fun “accessories”! So I think half of them will get hats… and the other half?… something else??? Gotta keep making…

Categories: terra cotta, The Ghouls Collection

Building a prototype. A little piece here, a little chunk there. A rippled squiggle here, a concave dent there. All trying to figure out the best production process & plan for building this year’s new addition to The Ghouls Collection!!!

Categories: terra cotta, The Ghouls Collection, wheelthrowing

As apparently FORTY is the magic number again this year… #IFKYK.

Categories: terra cotta, The Ghouls Collection, wheelthrowing

10×10 Challenge: More than ten thrown before 10:00am.
Playing with terra cotta today… I’ve got a plan & a “ghoulish” deadline!!!

Categories: flower pots, process, stamped, terra cotta

Mental note to self… during an early-morning trimming session, don’t leave a stamped pot “unattended “ on the wheel. Because you might accidentally step on the pedal while you’re sitting down. And then bad things might happen.

Oh well, it’s just clay! 🤣

Categories: flower pots, terra cotta

Another 10×10 challenge done! With the weather warming up, it’s gonna be time to start planting flowers everywhere. Which also makes it time for some terra cotta flowerpots! More than ten thrown before 10:00am!!!

Categories: architecture, clay, terra cotta

A beautiful blue-sky bike ride north into Evanston… which just happened to take me past this amazing house on the corner or Lake & Hinman! Terra cotta craftsmanship like you’ve never seen before. Exquisite design & craftsmanship… they don’t make ’em like they used to!

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

Base coat of underglaze colors… already looking better!
Gotta add more color… say it three times!!! … Underglaze. Underglaze. Underglaze.

Categories: handbuilding, terra cotta, The Ghouls Collection

Well, here we have some “naked” Ghouls from earlier this week…
just waiting for some colors to make the character come to life… out of The Netherworld!!!