Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: glaze, mugs, process, production, soda-fired, surface decoration, textures

So I’ve been glazing the latest batch of “hybrid mugs” in preparation for this weekends Soda-Firing Workshop. A simple liner glaze of tenmoku… and then I had to decide which ones to leave raw outside, and which ones need a bit more lovin’ & a bit more colored glaze accents before soda-firing.

Categories: holiday, soda-fired, tiles

For those of you who have never been to my condo…
a quick glimpse inside while celebrating NATIONAL TILE DAY with a few shots of a tiled wall I made several years ago! All handmade, textured & soda-fired tiles filling the wall from floor to ceiling… from bedroom to bathroom.

Categories: platters, stamped, textures

Another large serving platter… stamped & textured using two simple tools. Each stamped impression pressed in one-by-one… by one… by one… by one… just “a couple” impressions to fill it in all the way around the platter!

Categories: stamped, textures

Little textures. Lots of glazing. And a BIG plan coming together… I just hope it comes even close to how I imagine it in my head?!

Categories: art fair, friends, gallery, process, production

Looks like my talented friend & master metalsmith Sarah Chapman is still working on her collaboration pieces for our “4×4 : FOUR MAKERS” gallery show next weekend in Evanston. I can’t wait to see Sarah’s, Darlys’s & Robin’s pieces when they all come together. Fingers crossed… I’m still working on mine too!!!

Categories: classes, food

So last night we had some “imported” treats under the yellow towel… all the way from China!!! Chicago’s Chinatown that is!

Still impressed with the packaging… including the “cool” interior sleeves of cookies. The matcha flavored OREOs however?… not so much! Thanks to Korina for bringing them in… as she prefaced it with “I’m pretty sure you’re not going to like these.” She knows me too well… me & my palate of a four year old!!!!?

Categories: soda-fired, stamped, textures

Celebrating another TEXTURE TUESDAY with some fun stamped & soda-fired textures! And looking forward to this weekend when I share some “soda-fun” by teaching a 3-DAY SODA-FIRING WORKSHOP at Lillstreet Art Center. It’s a fast-paced weekend for my workshop students to get a quick taste of the soda-firing process… hoping they love their results after the firing. I’m sure there will be some great photos to come!!!

Categories: patterns, stamped, surface decoration, textures

A lot of stamping yesterday… followed by a LOT of colored flashing slip accents painted in all the right places today!!! You know I work best under deadline… rush, rush… it’s all coming together!!!

Categories: handbuilding, mugs, patterns, textures, wheelthrowing

Pretty excited about this first batch of “hybrid” mugs… half wheelthrown, half handbuilt… using my new MKM Pottery Tools for some great patterns & textures. I’m pretty sure the soda kiln is going to LOVE making all of these textures really pop!!!

Categories: stamped, stamps, textures

Just a little bit of stamping going on today… one last project I think I can still get done in time for next weekend’s soda kiln firing?!