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

You gotta love when a random package of OREOs just shows up on your Teacher’s Shelf. Sweet treats from a sweet friend & long-time student. Less cookie, more filling?… I’m in!!! Thanks Katie.

But I do think they might be mislabeled?… Family Size?… looks more like “single serving” to me!
I mean, they’re “thins” after all, right???

Categories: summer camp

Another day in Chess Camp… and it’s all starting to come together!
One square at a time!

Categories: bike, sunrise

Another quiet ride with some low-hanging haze along the horizon delaying the sunrise just a bit. Rippled reflections with an ombre’-shaded sunrise.

Categories: bike, sunrise

With just a low-flying layer of clouds on the horizon, it was a chilly start to the morning today. Quiet & serene… but I kinda wish I had added some long sleeves for my morning ride?! HA!

Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, vases

After a trip to the Andersonville Farmer’s Market on Wednesday, this collection of beautiful dahlias is now looking quite comfortable in one of my stamped & soda-fired oval vases. Beautiful blooms from Vangie’s Farm… including crazy cool & crazy huge curly burgundy dahlia! Perfect for a beautiful Floral Friday!

Categories: process, summer camp, surface decoration, textures, tools

After a quick summer camp demo, Colette took on a fun carving texture challenge… using one of my favorite DiamondCore Tools! Even the older kids appreciate using nicer tools for finer line carvings. And Colette rocked it!!!

Categories: summer camp, wheelthrowing

Just finished another week of Wheelthrowing Summer Camp… and they cranked out a ton of cool pieces this week! All trimmed & decorated with colored slips. Now just waiting to be bisqued, clear glazed & fired again. Not too shabby for a bunch of 10-11 year olds, right?!

Categories: classes, clay, summer camp

I came into my summer camp room to find that some adult student from last night left us a little “present” in the splash pan of one of the wheels! And yet somehow the kids always get blamed for leaving a mess? They don’t even use that kind of clay!!!

Plus, I have confidence… and I would easily bank on my summer campers cleaning better than most!!! They’re great when it comes to clean-up. I just wish everyone followed Gary’s Summer Camp Rule #3… “Whatever mess you make, you WILL be cleaning up!” Adults included…

Categories: bike, sunrise

The waves are still acting up, while the sunrise was dappled through some low-flying clouds. Another beautiful morning with cool temps & chilled breezes.

Categories: mugs, production, stamped

So here they are for now… lots of new mugs with some of them “destined” to be part of our class trading & exchanging game for the final night of my Intermediate Wheel class. Still gotta lot to do… drying, bisque firing, glazing & firing again… with the deadline quickly approaching… giddy-up!