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

Week One of Summer Camp done. And eventful it was!!! We started the week with no air conditioning… sweltering during the hottest days of the heatwave! They moved us to a different classroom that was not quite as intolerable… and gave use a “swamp cooler.” Yep, I didn’t know either… a 5-gallon bucket of ice in front of a fan!!! Wait, what?! We made it through the day with only one camper passing out… but who’s counting? The rest of the week was warm… as we got moved back into our original “UN-air-conditioned“ room. Sweaty & clammy pretty much all day long!!!

But then today… THIS happened! They got a NEW air conditioning unit on the roof!l… YAY!!! Although I didn’t really expect them to open the ceiling completely… DURING camp!!! But they did. Very quickly… just a shower of dust… a new sky view… and then we had air conditioning again!!! Voila’!!!

Quick fix and the room got chilly as the old unit was lowered down from a crane
just outside our classroom window! Like I said… eventful.

Luckily, the new air conditioning unit should make the rest of Summer Camp
so much more enjoyable in there!!!

Categories: sunrise

Meanwhile… looking back over my shoulder there was some drama brewing behind me.
It didn’t look like much in terms of weather… just some great colors, clouds & contrast.

Categories: bike, sunrise

With a bit of humidity back in the air, this morning’s ride was calm, quiet & a little sticky. Low-flying clouds on the horizon made for a delayed start… but it was well worth the wait!

Categories: flowers, garden

A true sign of Summer… and the newest bloom in my front garden!

Categories: bike, sunrise

Plenty of clouds & plenty of fun! It was a beautiful morning for a sunrise bike ride! The oppressive heatwave & humidity seems to have broken & left Chicago for awhile. So it was quite nice this morning. As I had to “work-up a sweat”… not just “wake-up in a sweat”!!!

Categories: food

We had them last week & again last night in my pottery classes.
Mixed reviews… but my first snarky comment was
“Who is she?… and why does she get a special OREO?”

Generally we liked them, but I kinda felt I was done after two or three.
So I’d say in a battle of “celebrity OREOs”… I’m going with Post Malone for the win!!!

Categories: classes, mugs

Tonight in class, my Beginning Wheel students trimmed & added handles making their first mugs of the session!!! Not too shabby for Week Two!!! Well done team!

Categories: soda-fired, stamped, vases

Celebrating another TEXTURE TUESDAY with a new stamped vase… fresh out of the soda kiln!

Categories: summer camp

It’s only Day Two of Summer Camp… and Rule #3 is already well in play!!!
With a splash of water on the floor… “Whatever mess you make, you WILL be cleaning up!”
And they do…

Categories: hybrid mugs, mugs, soda-fired

Celebrating another MUGSHOT MONDAY with some quick peeks at some of my new “hybrid mugs” that came out of my latest soda firing. So pleased with the results… although I still need to clean & prep some of them before they head out. I need to fulfill a few orders & prepare for my next art fair in July in Glenview!!!

Just a reminder … groovy cool textures made with handrollers from the folks at MKM Pottery Tools!