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

After last week’s “terrible” Irish Creme Thin OREO’s…
We approached this week’s new flavor with a bit of trepidation. Especially since I am NOT a fan of the real tiramisu dessert. I don’t drink coffee, I don’t drink alcohol, not a fan of puffy-squishy lady fingers… and that fluffy moussey stuff?! Not a fan… mousse???… is it pudding, is it frosting, is it whipped cream? What it is it trying to be? My “palate of a four-year-old” gets confused. Too many things I’m not excited about. But I digress…

So we tried the new OREO flavor this week… and I must admit it wasn’t all that bad. I mean, we finished the bag!!! Much better reviews from my students than last week’s package of Irish Creme… that we actually ended up throwing away the leftovers!!!

Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, vases

A true harbinger of Spring… a beautiful vase full of orange tulips for another Floral Friday!
Two different varieties of orange tulips to compliment my stamped & soda-fired vase.

Categories: classes, stamps, surface decoration

After crackling slip, we spent the last half hour of our SURFACE DECORATION class making clay stamps. My goal is to have them bisqued quickly so we can start playing with them in next week’s class… where the focus will be “stamps & sprigs”!!!

Categories: classes, process, surface decoration, textures

Last night in my SURFACE DECORATION class, we played with some different slip colors mixed with a sodium silicate solution to help us create these wonderful crackled surfaces on our wheelthrown pots!!! Exciting as every one is different every time!!!

Categories: flowers, nature, seasons

Still a bit chilly, but bright blue skies sure help when highlighting these beautiful forsythia branches. Always a welcome sight as Spring is finally blooming all around us!

Categories: glaze, platters, stamped, textures

Another large stamped platter fresh from the kiln. Loving how this glaze pools & puddles in all the right places… totally accentuating all of the stamped textures along the way!

Categories: stamped, textures

Gray morning. Gray clay.
Another batch of “gray-for-now” textured nuggets!!!

Categories: flowers, garden

After my trip to Hausermann Orchids a couple weeks ago, I came home with this little beauty too! I’ve never tried growing a Lady Slipper Orchid before… which just opened & is STUNNING!!! The sales guy said it’s not any harder than caring for phaelaneopsis orchids… which I’m okay with… so, fingers crossed!!!

Categories: process, production, stamped

Time for some stamping… giving the spoon rests some decorative edges.
Gotta make those sloppy spoons look good while you’re cooking, right?!

Categories: soda-fired, stamped, tiles

Celebrating a little TEXTURE TUESDAY with a stamped & soda-fired ClayQuilt I made awhile back… currently living its best life in a customer’s home!