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

Working in the studio adding some colored slip accents & details to my mugs. Celebrating Mughshot Monday… and what better time to watch “The Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown” watching potters succeed & fail on Reality TV. Also fun to see that my Lillstreet Throwdown’ers had already done some of the same challenges in their class!!!

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, stamped, vases

Just added some handles to this latest batch of oval vases. Not only do I think they’re kinda cute… but they should also help spread & hold the flowers in place! Working towards filling another kiln or two… the summer art fairs are coming soon!!!

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: process, production, stamped

Just doing a little stamping this afternoon!
Using my own handmade clay stamps… pressed in one by one… by one… by one…

Categories: classes, stamped

Okay, so there may have been a “surprise” trophy too…

Categories: soda-fired, stamped

And since I had tasked my THROWDOWN’ers to make a trio of candlesticks… and knowing that we would see them all again during our final potluck… I knew I wanted to make a set for myself!!! So I did… and then I soda-fired them too!!!

Okay, so “maybe” I made four… just as a back-up in case the soda kiln gods didn’t look favorable upon all of them?! Luckily, all four came out quite nice!!! If I do say so myself…

Categories: food, holiday, pottery, stamped

Just got home from teaching class… and it’s never too late to celebrate! As today is also NATIONAL CHERRY PIE DAY!!! And I’m ready to have a slice of the fun!!! 🍒

Categories: bowls, stamped, surface decoration

Just some closer looks at the detailing that happened up in my studio after this week’s class demo. I figured if I was showing off how to make a “not-so-basic-bowl”… why not go all the way?! MORE IS MORE, right?!

Categories: bowls, classes, stamped, surface decoration

After some time under the plastic, these class demo bowls were brought out in my studio for a little more detailing. A little stamping here, a little rim indenting there. Here they are side-by-side in my studio! Just a few super bowls for “Super Bowl Sunday.”

Before…

After…