Prepping, pricing & packing for tomorrow’s Schaumburg art fair set-up. Right now working on my latest batch of flowerpots… just waiting for a new home & a new plant!!!

Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play |
Prepping, pricing & packing for tomorrow’s Schaumburg art fair set-up. Right now working on my latest batch of flowerpots… just waiting for a new home & a new plant!!!

And while I “should” be home prepping, pricing & packing for this weekend’s art fair… I thought it best to hedge my bets and start making another batch of mugs as replenishment for the next two art fairs!!! I can pack later tonight… or tomorrow, right?!




Kicking off my summer art fair season this weekend at the SCHAUMBURG PRAIRIE ARTS FESTIVAL. Two days in the park with lots of pottery & other talented artists! I’ll be in Booth #17… my “usual” space. Looking forward to seeing everyone out there again after a two-year “hiatus.” It’s going to feel good to be back!


Sweet little flowers need sweet little vases! Lily-of-the-Valley season is upon us… with a beautiful fragrance… and plenty of mini vases coming to the SCHAUMBURG PRAIRIE ARTS FESTIVAL this weekend!!! Just in time to show-off your mini blooms in a cutie-patootie vase!






Thrown on Tuesday night, and trimmed tonight… just minutes before my SURFACE DECORATION class. I can’t wait to see what my students do with these “blank” cylinders… as tonight’s technique is mishima!!! More photos to come…


Last night in class, one of my Beginner’s has started doing these wonderful carvings into her pots… and wondering how to best glaze them to show-off the textures & patterns. We decided to paint black underglaze into the design, gently wipe off the top layer leaving it only in the grooves… then spraying a thin translucent glaze over the entire pot. Can’t wait to see how Kristen’s carved masterpieces turn out!!! She’s so excited…. and well, she should be!!!




Okay, so maybe I have a problem?… or can we just call this studio collection some sort of “installation art”???

Last night in class, we finished off Part Two of last week’s lidded jars demo. Tackling the knobs on the lids… with two knobs created while trimming (closest to the jars) and the other two with cute little finials wheelthrown onto the lids from an attached nugget of clay. Always good to have options!

Last night in class we had to get a little “creative”…
as the “yellow towel” was upstairs in my studio!!!


One of my Intermediate students has been “struggling” with getting the right glaze results for her intricate pots… lots of carving, stamping, painting, illustrations, etc. The classrooms glazes have been “covering” all of her hard work.. so she’s been testing some commercial cone 6 glazes when I fire my cone six studio work. Looks like Christine is getting some great results. Can’t wait to see where this glaze journey progresses!




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Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
Lillstreet Studios ∙ 4401 North Ravenswood, Chicago, Illinois 60640 ∙ 773-307-8664 gary@firewhenreadypottery.com |