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

Making some mini vases in the studio today…
and of course, mini vases need mini stamps, right?!

Categories: classes, clay, color, vases

And here’s the vase I threw last night as part of my marbled clay class demo… now trimmed & skinned to reveal the marbling better. Enamored by the three color combo, the layers & ripples. We decided in class that maybe this one should be soda-fired with no glaze on the outside just to see how the soda effects alter or enhance the marbled surface! That’s the plan!

Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, textures, vases

Summer may be drawing to an end all too quickly, but there are still plenty of flowers to bring indoors to make it last just a bit longer. A few simple stems in an ikebana vase can make a dramatic splash on your table! And celebrating TEXTURE TUESDAY with these stamped & soda-fired textures!

Categories: pottery, stamped, vases

Looks like another mini vase found a great use at a good home.
So fun to see these cutie-patooties making their way out into the world! If you think you might “need” one or two… I just uploaded a bunch of them into My Online Pottery Store on my blog. Here’s the link… http://firewhenreadypottery.com/my-online-pottery-store/

Categories: flowers, garden, soda-fired, stamped, vases

When the big storm came though a couple days ago, apparently is broke off a bunch of Rosene’s coleus plants. Not to be beaten down, she gathered them up and made a cute little centerpiece for herself! Helps when you have a nice little stamped & soda-fired vase to put them in!!!

Categories: creativity, friends, inspiration, pottery, vases

Who knew that one little piece of pottery could draw out such creative wackiness?! Whether it’s a horn-holder on top of a watermelon?… or a kitten spittle-catcher?… or a zucchini bread holder???

Looks like he might be going a little “covid-quarantine-crazy”… but I LOVE It… and I can’t wait to see what he’ll do with larger pieces of pottery?!!! Bring it on Matthew!!!

Categories: artists, classes, sgraffito, vases

Pre-pandemic we were just finishing up our Great Lillstreet Throwdown class… just a couple days later the world shutdown! So now, several months later, some of my students are just now getting around to glazing their pieces. These are two pieces by Jacob… a sgraffito carved bowl and his Volkswagon VW flower brick!!!

A far cry from Jacob’s penchant for dipping all of his pots in a plain lavender glaze like he did for the first couple years!

Categories: flowers, stamped, vases

Sweet little stamped vase with some sweet little flowers!
Thanks Rosene for this little retro-feeling vignette photo!

Categories: garden, soda-fired, stamped, vases

Such a cute little succulent garden… it never really crossed my mind to turn one of my small oval pieces into a flower pot for succulents. But now that’s all I want to do… make some of these for myself!!! Thanks for sharing my green-thumbed fans!

Categories: flowers, garden, soda-fired, vases

A few more wall pocket planters making the greenery hang higher! Specially made with some drainage holes for soil & plants… usually I make them without holes for flowers in a vase. Loving how this trio has some cascading vines working their magic. Thanks Patty for sharing your green thumb!