Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, vases

Single flowers in a cutie-patootie little vase for another Floral Friday! Thanks for sharing Tiffany!

Categories: soda-fired, stamped, textures

Some soda-fired fun for another TEXTURE TUESDAY! No glaze on the outside, except some tenmoku inlaid in the stamped impressions. All of the color & shine comes from some flashing slips & the soda-firing process itself!!!

Categories: flowers, soda-fired, stamped, vases

Love this time of the year when everything is in bloom. Especially the lilac bushes with their fragrance wafting around bringing childhood flashbacks.

Categories: classes, platters, stamped, surface decoration

So proud of Taylor… who definitely paid attention to my class demo & listened to my mantra “More Is More” again. Look at this amazing plate that she decorated with my stamps during class this week. I’ve already warned her… it’s a slippery slope. But have a GREAT time stamping!!! With great results like this… we want to see MORE!!!

Categories: classes, stamped, stamps

After my stamping class demo, I encouraged my students to use some of my handmade stamps on their own pieces. I suggested they start by”testing” the stamps on a small slab, and then move onto their own bowls, plates & vases. They seemed to have so much fun playing with my stamps… and they made some really cool patterns on their pottery!

Categories: bowls, classes, stamped, stamps

This week in my SURFACE DECORATION class, the topic of the week was “Stamping & Sprigging”… mostly stamping! It was fun to show-off a bit, and demonstrate how I make my pots… and then encourage them to “borrow” the technique and find a way to “flip it” to make it an option in their own styles!!!

Categories: stamped

Doing a bit more stamping tonight in the studio. Just “practicing” to get ready for tomorrow night’s Surface Decoration class… as the topic is going to be stamping & sprigging. Wanted to “brush up” on my stamping before I head in to show-off tomorrow night!!!

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: food, platters, stamped

Looks like there was a bit of Easter yumminess down Peoria this past weekend… a festive carrot cake with plenty of cream cheese frosting & glittery sprinkles!!! Oh yeah, and a pretty green stamped plate makes any cake even more special. Thanks for sharing your pics with me!

Categories: flower pots, flowers, soda-fired, stamped

Plants everywhere are loving their ceramic homes! So happy to be living their best lives in a handmade, stamped & soda-fired flower pots. And you know I want to make more happy plants… so I’m making more flower pots! Thanks Rick for sharing your beautifully blooming African violets!