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

Here we go… making mugs again! My favorite thing to make!!! And today I’ve got a lot of handles to attach… because without a handle it’s NOT a mug!!! So I’m starting with some nuggets of clay… getting ready to pull my handles.

Categories: process, production, tools

Getting ready for an evening of trimming… one of my favorite parts of the process. There’s something soothing & meditative when you’re “refining” the bottoms of your pots. Especially when you have good tools to make your job easier. Still loving my collection of trimming tools from DiamondCore Tools… always sharp for crisp clean footrings!

Categories: glaze, mugs, process, production, soda-fired, surface decoration, textures

So I’ve been glazing the latest batch of “hybrid mugs” in preparation for this weekends Soda-Firing Workshop. A simple liner glaze of tenmoku… and then I had to decide which ones to leave raw outside, and which ones need a bit more lovin’ & a bit more colored glaze accents before soda-firing.

Categories: handbuilding, mugs, patterns, textures, wheelthrowing

Pretty excited about this first batch of “hybrid” mugs… half wheelthrown, half handbuilt… using my new MKM Pottery Tools for some great patterns & textures. I’m pretty sure the soda kiln is going to LOVE making all of these textures really pop!!!

Categories: platters, process, production, stamped, stamps, textures

Just a handmade stamp & a pointy piece of wood. Soon enough I had this fully stamped platter ready to start drying more. Still needs to be trimmed… but one step closer to done!

Categories: mugs, process, production, stamped

Making a few more stamped mugs on another Mugshot Monday!
Score, slip, attach, repeat… MUGS!!!

Categories: mugs, process, production

Score, slip, attach, repeat… repeat… repeat. Mug handles all attached & ready to start drying slowly! Just in time to make it downstairs to teach class tonight! The perfect way to celebrate another Mugshot Monday!

Categories: stamped, surface decoration, vases

Just doing a little stamping in the studio on another gray Saturday. Working on a new batch of ikebana flower vases… thrown, stamped & ready to trim! Just getting ready for Spring flowers ‘cuz I’m already done with this Winter grayness!

Categories: mugs, process, production

Another batch of cylinders working their way towards becoming mugs! Too wet to stamp now… but I feel some “shamrock stamps” might just be headed their way!!!

Categories: glaze, holiday, process, production

Glazing is going well… just a few more trees to glaze before loading the kiln tonight! If everything goes well, these will all be out of the kiln & ready for this weekend’s MUD & METAL SHOW… My Second Holiday Home Show!