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

Celebrating TEXTURE TUESDAY with another stamped & soda-fired vase from my most recent firing. Another one making its “big debut” next weekend at my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW!!!

Categories: challenge, classes, holiday, Mom

Many years ago, I bought this cute ceramic snowman for my Mom while on a bike ride. At the time I had just started taking my Beginning Wheel class. Fast forward to now… where I now own this guy after downsizing my Dad’s place…. and teaching pottery classes! My Monday night class was looking for a fun “challenge” project… something holiday… and something fun! So this guy served as the prototype for our challenge. Where they’re all making their own snowman in their own style. Tonight is the last class of our Fall session… so it’s also the big “Snowman Reveal.” I can’t wait to see what they’ve all come up with!!!

Categories: mugs

Celebrating another MUGSHOT MONDAY with a few more mugs! Still setting up for this weekend’s HOLIDAY HOME SHOW… at last count we were already over 120 mugs!!! And I still have more if there’s any extra shelf space???… plus, enough to replenish throughout the weekend. Plenty of mugs for everyone… as they make the perfect holiday gift!!!

Categories: soda-fired, stamped, textures, vases

Another sweet oval vase from my recent soda-firing. A little “before” shot with a tenmoku glaze inlaid into the stamped impressions. And then a couple “after” shots… after some sprayed green glaze… even better after a great soda-firing!

Categories: soda-fired, stamped, surface decoration, vases

Stamped & soda-fired… a great example of how the soda kiln atmosphere affects the sides of the pot. Chemically altering the colored slip accents on each stamp… as they all started out the same. Also creating a great “orange-peel” effect on the sides of this oval vase. Just a reminder… there is no glaze on the outside of this pot other than the tenmoku inlay. All of the “shine” & “glaze” comes from the soda-firing process.

Categories: pottery, soda-fired, stamped

While setting up my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW for next weekend… I realized that I never quite shared enough photos from my kiln unloading. So here are a few more freshly soda-fired pots still in the kiln! I mean, they’re not “now”… ‘cuz they’re already on some display shelves waiting to go to their forever homes!

Categories: flowers, nature, seasons

Hanging on… a couple bright spots this morning! There’s still a few flowers blooming out there, but you’ve gotta look for them!!! The sunflower’s loving a bit of sunshine… but the dandelion seems a bit confused? What season is this again???

Categories: nature

More fall colored maple leaves…
catching the sun & making shadows earlier this morning.

Categories: bowls, food, friends

Looks like a little brothy soup is warming up my friends up in Stevens Point, Wisconsin as they were getting snow this morning! Thanks for sharing your yummy lunch with us in one of my bowls Kristy!!!

Categories: flowers, garden, soda-fired, stamped, vases

Sad, but true... I think this is the final dahlia of the season! I saw it blooming yesterday out in my garden. But when I saw a few little snowflakes this evening, I thought I would bring it inside to enjoy it a little longer. Perfect as a single bloom in one of my stamped & soda-fired ikebana vases!