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

A quick glimpse of one of my recent birdhouses out in the wild… quite literally!
Hanging around hoping to draw some birds to take up residence. Thanks for sharing Adam!

And yes, there will be just a couple birdhouses available at my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW next weekend!

Categories: bike, sunrise

Lots of clouds this morning with what I thought might be some good potential for a pretty sunrise after days of dark & dreary mornings. I was wrong. We had a hint of color… before the clouds took over… and then a little bit of drizzle started… ABORT!!! And I headed home… mwah, mwah, mwah…

Categories: art fair, mugs

One step closer with liner glazes… these Christmas Mugs will be making their “holiday debut” at my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW next weekend! Mark your calendar now… November 23rd & 24th at my condo in Chicago!

Categories: mugs, process, production

Doing some glaze inlay into the stamped impressions. Keeping the slip colors intact, but surrounding them with a dark glaze that will hopefully make the holiday stamps really POP out?!

Categories: process, production, stamped, textures, tools, vases

New oval vases with double handles drying in the studio. Each with a textured panel on both sides between the handles… thanks to some textured handrollers from MKM Pottery Tools. Loving the contrast of the smooth rounded ends & handles juxtaposed with the textured panels. Even better… the double handles will help hold your flowers up for a low-profile floral arrangement!

Categories: mugs, My Talented Friends

So this week I added another mug to my already overflowing “Mug Collection.” This handcarved & soda-fired beauty by my friend & pottery student Kristen. She may have started as a metalsmith years ago when we first met, but now we’ve won her over to the clay world!!! Such amazing design, details & craftsmanship.

If you think you might “need” to add some of Kristen’s pottery to your collection as well… she’s doing a Pop-Up Sale tomorrow at OMC : Our Mutual Coffee Co. in Chicago at 3600 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60618 from 7:00am-3:00pm. Be sure to stop by & say “Hi”… your coffee will definitely taste better in one of Kristen’s mugs!!!

Categories: process, production

Time to get some color in the forest! Trees are waxed and it’s time to start glazing! Got a lot to do in the next few days… as everything is quickly “rushing” towards my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW on November 23rd & 24th!!!

Categories: food, platters

While this is the last week of classes at Lillstreet, both of my classes celebrated with a fun potluck. Monday we did a Thanksgiving theme… but sadly, this one didn’t make it to the party?! Apparently it didn’t turn out quite right??? So Kristen’s “Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake” may have been a little too much down?… and not enough upside???

I said I would have still eaten it. Looks good to me!!! 🤣

Categories: Uncategorized

After the rain… I love how the gingko trees are still standing strong with their Fall colors! While other trees have mostly dropped, these wonderful pops of yellow are a welcome sight. Especially on a dreary day like today!

Categories: holiday, mugs

Nothing says “Christmas” more than traditional colors on my new holiday mugs! So I’m busy painting colored slips on the top half, as well as accenting the stamped impressions to make them even more festive!!! MORE IS MORE!!!