Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, vases

Single flowers in a cutie-patootie little vase for another Floral Friday! Thanks for sharing Tiffany!

Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, vases

Love this time of the year when everything is in bloom. Especially the lilac bushes with their fragrance wafting around bringing childhood flashbacks.

Categories: glaze, process, production, stamped, vases

Still glazing… this time I’m on the pots that came out of yesterday’s bisque kiln. Cute little oval vases with a fun strappy handles to help separate the flowers. And if one handle is cute… maybe two handles are even cuter?!!! Larger version with two handles & textured panels on each side!

Categories: process, production, stamped, vases

Just added some handles to this latest batch of oval vases. Not only do I think they’re kinda cute… but they should also help spread & hold the flowers in place! Working towards filling another kiln or two… the summer art fairs are coming soon!!!

Categories: flowers, seasons, vases

We finally made it! Today is the first full day of Spring. And while it’s still a bit chilly in Chicago… it looks like my Peoria pals have brought a little Spring inside! In what might be one of my “vintage” vases with a little bit of stamping along the edge… before I started soda-firing!

Categories: classes, vases

It’s been a long time coming, but one of my Advance Beginning Wheel students is finally coming towards the end of her “challenge.” Tessa is getting married in 2024… and decided in class a couple sessions ago to make a small “cutie-patootie” vase for everyone at her wedding. So Tess has been throwing off-the-hump to make a LOT of little vases. It started with a much smaller goal of a couple per table… but “someone” may have encouraged her to make MORE so everyone could get one! And luckily, Tessa took on my challenge!!!

Categories: holiday, pottery, soda-fired, stamped, textures, vases

Not a 100% sure what I’m “celebrating” today…
But I’ll be “boxing up” the remains of my Holiday Home Shows today! I’ve been “living in a store” in my condo for two months now. I can’t wait to start putting it all away to reclaim my space.

And again, with a HUGE “Thank You” to everyone who stopped by and made it a little easier for me to pack up now with a LOT less pottery on the shelves!!!

Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, vases

Down the street there’s a beautiful hydrangea bush with these big, beautiful flower clusters. Luckily, I cut off a couple stems before the big Halloween snowfall… and now they’ve dried perfectly & maintained their green color. A perfect addition to my green stamped & soda-fired vase!

Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, vases

Yes, the snow did them in… the plants are completely frozen, sagging, mushy & dead! However, I did “save” two flowers for a quick ikebana vase! The last two for this season… and hoping to “up my game” for next year with even more & bigger dahlias!

Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, vases

After this morning’s trip to the GreenCity Market, Rikke came home with another beautiful “broken” dahlia bloom FREE from the flower vendor. Good thing Rikki has an ikebana flower vase at the ready to show-off her newest blossom! Giving new life to a flower-head originally headed towards the trash. Beautiful save!!!