PDX Pots and Crafts

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Portland, OR
PDX Pots and Crafts

Crafting with Clay in PDX since 2016

Pottery and Crafts handmade by Mikalah Ball

For all links related to PDX Pots and Crafts, visit:
https://linktr.ee/pdxpotsandcrafts

10/28/2026

Currently firing kiln loads of new work to be ready for Crafts and Cocktails McMenamins Crystal Ballroom next week: Nov. 5th & 6th

(A layer of the kiln stack is missing from these photos; 4 large shallow black and white bowls and some small vases)

Swipe to see a photo dump alongside some in-depth captions

Holiday market update:
My work has been accepted into only a few markets for the upcoming season, and I applied to twelve !

Currently I have two markets confirmed for November, one market confirmed for December, and I'm on the waitlist for three. (yikes I know)

So your patronage at these few events (and on my web-shop) would mean a lot to me as a full-time artist, especially during this time when sales slow down and I spend more time in the studio producing new work.

November events:

》Crafts and Cocktails McMenamins Crystal Ballroom Nov. 5th & 6th (organized by Urban Art Network)

》Small Business Saturday Market: Nov. 28th 12pm - 4pm at my usual spot
(this is a make-up event for the market cancelled due to the wildfire smoke in August)

I marbled a lot of black stoneware and white porcelain clays in the last month, much of which I should have available at Crafts & Cocktails next week (and on the webshop soon after)

Spent a few weeks making a large number of stoneware cups and tea bowls.

While I'm hoping they fair mostly well in the kiln runs, I know it's inevitable to have some cracks develop while the marbled clays expand and contract in the heat of the firings.

Still, I hope for a high success rate on the utilitarian wares. I did my best in making them and that's all I can do.

I don't typically make a whole batch of utilitarian wares, but I recently did in an effort to satisfy the incresing demand (yes I hear the constant requests for more cups)

Visitors at my next event will have first pick of the newest utilitarian vessles, and I'll make listings on my webshop for vessles that don't sell at the event next week.

Get 'em while you can! Soon I'll return to making vases, jars, and other larger and more visually interesting shapes

Some of my favorite photos from my October autumnal obervations

Me on my morning flute walk before getting to work in th

10/22/2026

We're two weeks away from your next chance to shop my marbled vessles in person!

Crafts & Cocktails McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
November 5th & 6th, 2026

If all goes well with the kiln runs, I should have some of my newest pots available at this event.

~ if you're interested in my work and unable to shop in person, you can always browse my current inventory online! I ship within the U.S. and offer local pickup

☆

Big shoutout to the Urban Art Network non-profit for organizing this event, so much appreciation for y'all

♡

10/18/2026

It's been colder in my potting studio lately, so I'm greatful for days like today with the windows and doors open to hear the birds. I'm also enjoying the last few garden flower bouquets of the season when I look up from my work on the potters wheel.

On the other hand, I've been noticing that some of the drying pots have s-cracks going through the bottoms. I think the vessles are drying unevenly as I've begun using a heater to keep the studio warmed during this seasonal shift where both temperature and humidity are shifting towards the cooler and wetter parts of the year.

It's difficult to watch vessles in a large batch of ceramic work begin to develop these cracks so early in the making process, and still be motivated to finish trimming the rest batch.

But here I am, continuing to carve those works, commited to doing what the clay needs.

So I've moved around the trimmed vessles and adjusted the plastic around them in attempts to even the drying. I'm also trimming them thinner than those with the developing cracks, which means I'm trimming through more pots - difficult and disheartening in it's own way.

And still, I return to the constant practice of accepting the circumstances while I persist in my work to the best of my ability.

10/10/2026

Yesterday I made my first-ever attempts at wheel throwing teapots! In a clear moment while throwing off the hump, it was as if the spinning clay had asked to be made into teapots.

So the parts for these two teapots were made from a single ball of clay: a combination of orange, red, and white stonewares.

Making them in this way means the marbled color tones in each piece will match but have different patterns! I'm paitently looking forward to seeing how they look when the marbled pattern is exposed after trimming.

And even more so, I'm curious how the final vessles will look and function once assembled:
Will I like the way the different marbled parts come together? How well will they function? Will I make more once I find out? Only time will tell!

Either way, I believe this is an important step for me as a potter and craftsperson.

Making teapots is relatively new for me, they have always been intimidating to me as there are so many things to consider when making these types of vessles to ensure they function well.

Before this attempt, in my ten years of potting I had only ever hand-built two teapots, both pit-fired and made from wild clay exclusively for my own daily tea practice.

The first was fairly functional, and I spent a year using it before attempting another. The year of use provided much insight on how to improve my next one.

And the second hand-built teapot was exceptionally functional and I was overjoyed with my results.

In sitting for tea with these two hand-built teapots over the past many months, I have developed such a love and high regard for the vessle that is the teapot, and it's function.

And so I'm happy to finally be attempting to make marbled teapots that are intended for other's use!

It's very different than how I made my first 2 teapots in so many ways, and it feels good.

09/26/2026

Day 2 of 3 Cornell Farm Nursery & Cafe Fall Fair

Today and Tomorrow 9/26 & 27

Come through 10am-4pm

09/25/2026

Porcelain and stoneware vessles I threw last week and trimmed in the last few days.

Address

Portland, OR
97201

Website

http://pdxpotsandcrafts.com/

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