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

Keeping with our “yellow theme” this morning…
looks like Sally’s yummy lemon tart cake will make Matthew smile (and maybe pucker-up a bit) for his birthday! Happy Belated Birthday Matthew!!!

Categories: flowers, garden

Another beauty blooming in my garden. I sure do LOVE iris season. The colors, the shapes, the petals… and even the scent. Not everybody likes the way iris smell… but it’s like a childhood flashback memory for me!

Categories: bowls, classes, pottery, surface decoration

Last night during my SURFACE DECORATION class, we tackled carving through wheelthrown bowls to make “baskets”… with the goal of carving at least HALF of the bowl’s weight away! Tougher than it sounds. You kinda need a good plan from the start or you’ll lose some structural integrity. And then when it becomes delicate towards the end… you need to remember to NOT over-work or over-wet it… or it might just come tumbling down!

And then when it becomes delicate towards the end… you need to remember to NOT over-work or over-wet it… or it might just come tumbling down!

Categories: bowls, classes, wheelthrowing

It’s another Thursday… so another SURFACE DECORATION class tonight. And this is getting to be a little bit of a “habit”… but I made a bunch of trimmed & leatherhard bowls for my students to carve through tonight. Can’t wait to see what kind of magic they create this evening! Not so bad for throwing these bowls late last night, huh?!

Categories: flowers, garden

Another sweet little flag iris popping up in the garden…
I’m LOVING iris season this year!!!

Categories: sculpture

One of the highlights from this past weekend’s trip to Omaha was the amazing sculpture installation at PIONEER COURAGE PARK.

Incredible bronze sculptures immortalizing the pioneers who traveled west on the Mormon Trail & Oregon Trail. Created by sculptors Blair Buswell & Ed Fraughton, these amazing sculptures cross two large parks… and everything in between! Including flying geese & buffalo running through flower beads and through buildings!!! Such an amazing installation… and a “must-see” if you’re ever in Omaha!

Categories: art fair, artists, pottery

So excited to be part of this new Pottery Tour… featuring so many great potters! I wish we were doing it live & in-person this time… but with times being what they are, we’re online virtual this year. But look for us alive & in-person next summer!!! More details to come!!!

Categories: Chicago

While today looks to be more on the chilly & gray side… yesterday was GLORIOUS!!! Bright sunshine, blue skies & 80-degrees! Turns out I played ALL DAY on my bike… before a late night session working at the studio. But it was more than worth it!!!

Categories: Chicago, special events

After fifteen months of being stuck at home… it felt so good to finally get away for the weekend! Sure, it may have been work-related… but it felt great to fly again now that I’m fully vaccinated. It felt almost “normal” even though I was still masked & taking extra safety precautions along the way. Oh, how I’ve missed flying!!!

Categories: flowers, garden

While the overnight rains have not been so conducive to my morning bike rides, they are working wonders for some of the iris currently blooming in my front yard! I’m totally enamored by these beautiful bi-color irises… the color, the texture, the structure!!!