Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: kiln firing, process, production

Sadly, not quite everything fit into the kiln last night as I loaded into the wee-hours of the morning. As usual, I went through the mental waves of “I don’t have enough… I have way too much… I’m a gonna need to glaze more… this is never gonna fit… what am I doing… I think I need chocolate… still a lot of pots… oh, I think it’s going to be close… can I squeeze just a few more in?”

Well, the answer was NO. So it looks like I have a few leftovers… a nice start on building work for my next soda kiln, right???

Categories: glaze, process, production, stamped

Working on the glaze inlay first… filling the stamped impressions with some tenmoku glaze. And then I will be wiping off the top surface to clean it off… leaving the glaze only in the patterns!

Categories: glaze, process, production, stamped

Moving right along! Filling the stamps with glaze & then wiping off the top surface with a wet sponge. It leaves the dark tenmoku glaze inside the stamp to really make the texture pop! Then a quick liner glaze with the same tenmoku… clean the edges with a wet sponge… and we’re almost done!!!

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped

While another bisque kiln is firing, this first batch is ready to start glazing.
Lined up & ready for the first step… doing a little glaze inlay into the stamped impressions.

Categories: bowls, process, production, stamped, stamps

Still working in the studio… and I’ve moved on to stamping some serving bowls. Just have to pick the stamps I want to use… and then start pressing them into the “softer-than-leatherhard” clay one by one… by one… by one…

Categories: process, production, wheelthrowing

Early morning production… just trying to crank out one last batch of mugs before my next soda kiln!!!

Categories: pottery, process, production, stamped

Busy making again… this time it’s bottomless cylinders that get turned into ovals.
No one ever said that wheelthrown pots had to be round!!!

Categories: hybrid mugs, mugs, process, production

Handles attached and setting-up a bit. A lot of scoring & slipping… attaching & smoothing.

I tell my students all the time… I love making handles & I love making mugs.
Two relatively unpopular opinions!

Categories: mugs, process, production

Handles pulled…looped over… and starting to set-up
before I begin attaching them to the newest batch of hybrid mugs!

Categories: mugs, process, production

In between sunrises & “4×4” show times… I’ve been busy in the studio keeping the new batch of Shamrock Mugs on track. Deadlines are coming quick… but if all goes well, watch for my annual SHAMROCK MUG SALE only on my pottery Facebook page Wednesday evening. More details & photos to come! Mark your calendar!