dahlhaus

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

The boys and I spent the evening decorating Valentine cards for the kids in their classes yesterday. I had made some simple heart stamps, but, as boys will be boys, the hearts were vetoed. Oh well. Dean printed off a bunch of photos of our kitty that say: 'I think your 'purrfect'- happy valentines day'. Our kitty 'Amber' turns 3 today- imagine a whole litter of kittens being born on Valentines Day! Purrfect indeed!
I hope your day is full of warm wishes from friends and loved ones. I always seem to think of the passage in 1 Corinthians on Valentines day. It's so counter-culture to think of love this way, but considering my grandparents were happily married for 65 years by putting this verse into practice, it seems to have stood the test of time.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Back to winter

2012-02-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

We had moments early this week when I thought winter had passed and we were now onto spring. It's ok, Spring will be upon us in record time once again. Here we are nearly mid-February and I have so many projects that have just gotten started or I'm in the middle of. I like starting things and I really like finishing things, not quite as much this middle ground. I continually feel as though I'd like to be ahead of the game instead of always feeling behind. So I'll be busy this weekend, trying to wrap up some of the exciting things going on so I can start sharing them here.
Thanks for stopping in this week! My facebook page has been a real source of encouragement for me this week- friends of ours were in NYC and stopped by one of the Anthropologie stores to snap a photo of my vases. They look so amazing set up in this beautiful cabinet highlighting other products of similar colour-ways. Seriously, their shop design team really knows how to put it together! Made me want to take the red-eye to New York this weekend to check it out in person...
Have a great weekend!

Studio work

2012-02-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

...is coming along, slowly but surely. Orders are starting to get finished and shipped off. My glaze tests didn't quite turn out the way I was hoping, but it wasn't all a wash. I've been hoping for a great semi-matt charcoal grey (the one I've been using has a green tinge to it- beautiful, but sometimes, one just wants grey).
I recently realized that I've been throwing on the wheel for 18 years now. When I first got started (took my first ceramics class at 18 in college), I was told by an older potter that I'd need to be working in clay for 20 years before I could consider myself a 'master potter'. The term seems a bit archaic to me now- not really something I would think about ever striving for, but at the same time, I did take the advice to heart. I decided to slow down, take my time in school and really spend years honing my skill before launching out on my own with my own signature style. Maybe it held me back a little, because it would be about 13 years before I started 'dahlhaus', but on the other hand I think I needed that time. It gave me space to sort out my ideas, and to work out all the kinks that were going to come up. And most of all it gave me the confidence I needed to really make the kind of work I wanted to make.

Coming along

2012-02-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

We have been in our current home now for nearly 6 years- about 5.5 years longer then we thought. I spent months and months looking for a new house to rent- we had been in an up-stairs of a house on a really busy street with a mostly annoyed landlord living below us. Annoyed because the boys were too noisy at 2 and 4 years old. The writing was on the wall, so when we found our current house- I jumped. The price was right, it has a 3rd bedroom, no one lives below us (ie the boys can play and be boys), the yard was stunning (had a garden plot), there was a school and preschool close by- nearly all the things we were hoping for in a house, except that it was small, with only one bathroom, no dishwasher, and the eating area in the kitchen is super tight. That and the landlord had decided to cover the wood floor in the living room with purple carpet before we moved in. On moving day, Dean said that we shouldn't get too comfortable- it was too small for us and we should think about looking for a new place in about 6 months. Not the easiest thing to hear from your spouse on moving day.

So here we are, all these years later. I usually get restless in a space after about 3 years, and for some reason, this house has felt like home more then any other. For the most part we just needed to get over the expectation that a house has to have a lot of space. Somehow we realized that having good neighbours and a good school for the boys was more important then the purple rug. We edit our closets and the toys regularly trying to keep clutter to a minimum. And perhaps one day our landlord will be able to clear out the basement suite for us to rent as well (we had made arrangements for that a few years ago, but he lost his mojo to move stuff out). That being said, it's taken me a while to commit to hammering holes in the wall. I finally got started in the kitchen...

sunrise above the clouds

2012-02-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

I've been waking at sunrise by the fog horns down on the water. By the time I take the boys to school the fog has lifted and it's the most amazing light and sunshine. It's been so warm and spring-like the past few days, it's had me wonder if winter's over around these parts. So misleading. We are bound to have more dreary wet and gloomy days ahead.
Hope you are easing into your week!

Hello Teacup

2012-02-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

Thanks to this little Russian teacup, I might just have to enter a bit of a blue and white phase.

Pipers Lagoon on a Stormy Day

2012-01-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

Here's the lagoon I had been hoping to see on our next visit to the Island. When the tide is out, people can walk across to get a closer look at these 1930's fishing shacks, although you would have to be careful not to get stuck on that side when the tide comes in. With all the sea lions barking in the water and seals poking their heads out to check out who was on shore, I'm sure it's a popular spot when the weather is a little nicer. Our visit was a little windy, to say the least, and between my very expectant sister, a toddler, and my 2 boys climbing all the cliffs, it got a bit crazy and cold!

Hope you had a good weekend! Back to the studio for me:)!

Inspiration was needed

2012-01-24T22:29:00.000-08:00

It's soggy outside. Cold, wet, gray and dark. It's no wonder I need a little colour and pattern injection in my life! I've been a little slow on the blog front, partly because this light is so horrible to take photos in, and partly because life is just humming along with nothing too new to report (lots in the works though!) Nonetheless here's the latest:

+On a recent excursion on Commercial I popped by the vintage shop to admire all the ceramics.

+At home the boys are knee deep in class projects, math tests and snowboarding. Naturally all of this takes some effort so we've been busy. Who knew kids could be this much work?!?

+Our 'new' to us arborite table and chairs passed on from Dean's brother and wife this past weekend. Dean helped them move and we got first dibs- not too shabby! It looks rediculously cute in our yellow vintage kitchen. Now if I could only move that light switch so I could hang artwork properly...

+At the studio I started on my first glaze firing for the new year! I'd love to be filling it with new designs and all sorts of fun, but I'm going to have to settle on a finishing up a bunch of orders to start off with.

That's pretty much it. All the really exciting stuff is still in the works and can't quite be let out of the bag yet.

The wonderful world of colour

2012-01-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of colour grouping and pairing. In painting class my favourite thing was colour theory class where we would place colours side by side and see what would happen. Does the colour recede or come forward? Does it change it's tone depending on what's beside it? With that in mind, we had a little fun at my last photo-shoot with grouping my striped bottle vases together. Putting all the Turquoise shades together, the cool colours, the bright colours, the summer colours. It was kind of fun.
As many glazes as I have in the studio these days there are some new colours I want to work on this year. Thankfully I seem to have the colour of the year already working for me: Tangerine Tango, a great bright orange (the orange stripes in the photo above) with red undertones. This year, I'd like to delve into the greens a bit more. Finding a good 'Kelly Green' stain is hard to come by, but I'm looking forward to trying. I think I've got yellow down, my turquoise selection is quite extensive, along with the blues. I'm not a big purple and pink fan, but perhaps I need to work on that a little more- you know, broaden my horizons a bit. (Wouldn't a soft purple look good with the vases below?)

What colours would you like to see me use next? Any suggestions?
photos by Curtis Hildebrand

Snow Day

2012-01-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

I ended up with a snow day/pro-d day at home with the boys. It was a good thing I had no expectations of getting any work done, because my boys seem to require a lot of attention these days. There's been an increase of homework and school-projects that take extra motivation and assistance and the sibling squables start from the moment they get up and are loudest in the car. Because I'm not a big fan of too much screen-time, extra activities needed planning so we had 2 visits with mom-friends and their kids to break up the day a bit. Despite this, I'm feeling a little stir-crazy and very ready to get back to the studio for a little peace and quiet, space to breath, think and be creative without someone asking me for a snack.
With work in mind, I have a few exciting things coming up for me - all in the planning stages. It's great to have sudden waves of inspiration (they are all such good ideas!!), although I admit that the day-to-day of life sometimes deflates my ability to move beyond the initial stages of planning. It's difficult to wrap my head around all the things in the studio needing to be done when lunches need to be made and homework needs to get done. Is it just me or is the work/home/life balancing act getting you down too? Maybe it's the January blues that make me feel like just crawling back into bed and leaving it for another day.

Have a lovely weekend

2012-01-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

Well, my first week back in the studio for the new year started off with a rush of shop orders, but has ended on a nice quiet note. As much as I'm so grateful (so thankful, really!!) to start the year off with this kind of business, I must admit that last year kind of tired me out and I was kind of hoping to ease into things at a bit of a slower pace. I like to leave room in the new year for doing some planning and for other creative work too, not just ceramic orders all the time. It's just me working on it all- I'm the maker, the shipper, the supplies picker-upper, the customer service person, the blogger, the designer, the book-keeper, the marketer, the wholesale liason, etc. etc. Sometimes wearing all those hats, plus being at the school in time to pick up my kids 3 days out of 5 is a little overwhelming. Nonetheless, I did make it to both pottery supplies stores yesterday to pick up all the clay I should need until summer. The studio is stocked up with supplies and so far 12 teapots and 6 jugs got wheel-thrown and over the next couple of days they will be trimmed and assembled to then slowly dry out over a good week and a half before they can be fired. I'll start slip-casting again next week, even though my new molds for the season won't be ready for a couple of weeks. It's always nice to start out the season with new production molds. Everything comes out so smooth with very little to clean up.

Ok, time to get the kids off to school and me off to the studio. Thanks for stopping by this week!

As seen on Rachael Ray

2012-01-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

I finally saw one of the vases I sent over to the Rachael Ray Show this summer on the show yesterday. My sister-in-law phoned to give me the heads up- I had kind of forgotten about it, partly because I'd looked over the set list companies and saw that both Jonathan Adler and Pottery Barn were on the list and assumed they had heaps of ceramics to choose from. Seems my Turquoise Stem Vase is beside the sink filled with flowers on a few episodes- so nice to see it in action!
I'm hoping to have another Turquoise Stem Vase available in the shop soon, but in the meantime, here's a recent photo (Curtis Hildebrand Photography).

the friendly goat

2012-01-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hard to resist a smile like this.

Or those ears. Pretty cute for a billy goat!

We went in search of snow

2012-01-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

Ok so I didn't catch Nicole Kidman on the slopes like some people did this weekend up at Silver Star Ski Resort, but we did have some much needed 'snow time', family time and time spent with our friends up in Vernon. Here's me at the summit after a serious climb X-country skiing. Yes, I was sore the next day, but the view was so worth it!

My holidays have come to a close and I'm officially back to the studio this week making new work and starting on some exciting orders that have kick-started the new year for me. It's good to have a bit of focus even though I know I have a million things to work on this January to make the rest of the year run smooth. That said, I am feeling the clay itch again, like my hands need to get back into it after this lovely break.

Shop up-date

2012-01-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

There are a few new things for sale in my Etsy shop and my online shop. Some for regular price, some on sale! More to come next week...

Does anyone know who made this?

2012-01-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

Occasionally I'll find an amazing handmade treasure in a thrift store. This sweet celadon lidded vessel was one of them- it's perfect for holding some jewelry in it, and is something I'll pick up every once in a while, wondering who made it. Do you have anything around your place with a similar story? I need a contemporary version of the show 'Antiques Roadshow' to figure this one out...

Hope you are having a good day getting back to usual. I'm still at home today- still getting over a bit of a flu bug (the aches and tired kind). It feels good to have a quiet house to do some chores in too. I still have to finish up all my receipt recording from last year, so there's always something!

2012

2012-01-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

I seem to find New Year's Day a good day to clean up all the Christmas stuff, get the tree out of the house and purge my cupboards to make way for some new things that we got over the holidays. Not that I've taken off my new 'Major Tom/ Lifetime' sweater long enough to need the cupboard space to put it in, but it felt as though clothing purge was in order. It's been a while since the kitty has been able to sit up and see herself in the mirror on my dressing cupboard. Christmas can seem so excessive: why is it that we always end up with more in our car on the way home from family gatherings then when we left the house?

So, a new year! For some reason, I'm not ready to get back to the studio this year with full steam ahead. Something inside of me (plus my low energy level from this cold that's hanging on) is telling me to sit back, take stock, and to think things through before getting back into the grind of the making cycle. I've decided not to do one of the shows I had been considering for Spring because the dates conflicted with NCECA, a National Clay conference that is happening in Seattle this year. I've been meaning to go to this conference for years, but either I couldn't afford it or it was happening in the eastern US. I was hoping to do some sort of residency this year, but my family is still not quite ready for me to leave them for a month or 2. With that in mind, a weekend conference in Seattle geeking out on clay ought to be a good substitution for the time being. So that's about as far as my planning for the new year has gone.

I hope you are having a restful day off- I'm baking bread and have started to clean out the kitchen cupboards now. It's so nice to be at home.

So long Eva

2011-12-31T11:34:00.000-08:00

Even though Eva Zeisel lived such a long and productive life right up to her passing yesterday at 105 years, it goes without saying that the ceramic and design world has lost a dear and treasured soul. For someone with such a remarkable story: studying in Weimar Germany in the age of the Bauhaus Movement; developing from a studio potter to a ceramic designer for manufacturers all over Europe; surviving imprisonment in Communist Russia for being accused of conspiring to assassinate Stalin; fleeing Nazi Germany for the US, starting life in New York with a family, all the while designing ceramics, furniture and glassware for the modern American home in a sea of male designers, is truly an amazing legacy for one woman to have. Imagine if we all had the tenacity to overcome these kinds of obstacles in life and to stick to our passions with such determination and grace right up to the very end of our lives. Imagine if we all felt that kind of passion for what we do in our life that it would occupy our time right to the end.

Boxing Day walk in Yarrow

2011-12-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

My parents live in a small town squished between Vedder Mountain and the Vedder River, called Yarrow. It's where I spent my late teen years, after having grown up mostly a Winnipeg city kid. The move from the city to the country was a big adjustment for me, considering I was used to hopping on a bus to meet my friends downtown to go shopping and see movies. In Yarrow, the thing to do was to go for a hike up the mountain. Somehow this mountain became dear to me and holds many memories of hikes and long talks with friends, including being the place where Dean popped the question, many years ago.

It was Merry

2011-12-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Despite a bit of a head cold putting a damper on the celebrations, we had a great Christmas with our boys, who got a few things they were really excited about getting, but mostly, who enjoyed playing with their cousins and having great Christmas dinners with both sides of the family. Along with the non-stop playing games and driving their little cars around the house, they have had the full attention of Dean and I for the past week, which has been wonderful as well. Having a holiday schedule with sleep ins, and quiet reading and games in the morning, an outing to a friends place in the afternoon, a walk and some more quiet hang-out time after dinner has been wonderful. It seems we all really needed the unscheduled week to just enjoy being home together (could probably use an extra week to be honest!!).

That winter feeling

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

We finally made it up to Mt. Seymour to pick up the season's passes for my boys this year, and while there wasn't as much snow as the last time I was up there, it was wonderful to enjoy the wintery feeling, despite the warmish weather here in Vancouver. We ended up hiking on the snow-shoe trails part of the way to the look-out (last time Sasha and I did the 2.5 km that it took to get there) and noticed that dogs are now allowed on the trail as well. Not that we have a dog, but there were some beautiful dogs clearly enjoying the snow as much as my boys. Also new at Seymour- the magic carpet to take kids just learning to ski or snow-board up the bunny hill. Sure beats the tow-rope! And someone parked their vintage snowshoes on the trail- the kind I'd be hanging up in my home if I had a pair! (The owner's bags were close by so I didn't quite feel like I could mess with these to stand both shoes up-right for the photo... does anyone know what the smaller one on the ground would be for? It was on it's own...)
Only a few more days until Christmas! I'll be taking some time off of blogging to really enjoy things around here, but I just thought I'd pass along a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours. Thank you all for stopping by my blog, leaving comments and being interested in what I do and make.

For breakfast

2011-12-20T12:58:00.000-08:00

I am loving some of the pottery I bought this year.
Eating organic yogurt, home-made granola with frozen huckleberries out of April Gate's feather bowl.
Oranges served on Gailan Ngan's citrus carved celadon bowl.
Panettone on Laura McKibbon's goldfish kidney plate.
Home-made truffles on Fredi Rahn's star plate.
And a latte in Gailan's mug.

Maple or Honey Granola Recipe:
4 cups large oat flakes
1 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup chopped almonds or hazelnuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

2/3 cup Maple Syrup or Honey
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie tray for 20 min, stirring occasionally.
When cool add 1 cup dried fruit (optional).

Home-made Truffles - Martha Stewart's recipe made with Callebaut Semi-sweet chocolate.

dahlhaus at Anthropologie Vancouver

2011-12-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

So I guess I was under the impression my vases have been in Anthropologie Stores all over North America since November. I was wrong. They only just arrived in December- so no, they are not sold out in Arizona like my friend was thinking because she couldn't find any when she went to check in November, they just hadn't arrived yet.
I did manage to get to the Vancouver Anthropologie store yesterday to buy a present for my sister-in-law, so I took a few photos of their display. So pretty! There is one lonely grey striped vase left from one of the first orders back in July (with the original $40 price on it! As opposed to the new price of $58 in Canadian stores and $48 in US stores...). It took me an hour to do my shopping, much to Dean's dismay, but there really is so much to look at. And really, a lot of lovely stuff including Molly Hatch's new dishes that she designed for Anthro, which I now want a whole set of. But if you are looking for a little dahlhaus over the holidays- please do snatch up a vase or 2. I'm a little in love with the yellow myself.

Hope you have a great weekend! Someone has a birthday here in our house, so he's wanting a bit of a party to celebrate, and then I'll be a bit sporatic with blogging next week. All my studio work is finished for the year but my good friends at the Mergatroid building are having a last kick at the can studio sale on Saturday if you are in town and need a last minute gift. It's from 11-6 on Saturday upstairs in the Mergatroid building (On the corner of Vernon Drive and Parker Street off of Venables and Clark in Vancouver).

Downtown in December

2011-12-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share a few photos from the Santa Claus Parade that I took the boys to a couple of weeks ago. I had never actually been to this parade, and the boys, besides feeling quite cold by the end of it, seemed to enjoy the variety of floats that went past. It seems that parades these days are just advertising for various community groups, businesses, or kids programs and this one was no exception, but I guess masked in the spirit of Christmas it was still pretty fun to watch.

It's interesting to think about how we pass on traditions to our kids. On the one hand I want to take time out of our everyday life to do special things with my boys that get them excited about this season. The other part of me wants to slow things down, keep things simple and retain the core of what a season is all about. Joy, peace and love. Goodwill towards all. The story of a baby bringing hope. The giving of gifts to those we cherish. And extending a hand to those who most need it.

Glimpses of new

2011-12-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

I just got some of the proofs of the photos Curtis took with me in the studio the other day! We always seem to take one photo by accident with my hand or head half in the photo, making last-minute adjustments, but I kind of like that. There's something about my hand being there that brings it back to being hand-made.

Some day I hope to do a styled photo session, but for now, the simple grey backdrop accurately represents the work and documents. I can't stress enough to people who are just starting out in their careers how important good photographs are. At the same time, I sometimes see amazing photographs of work out there and then am disappointed when it comes to seeing and handling the work in real life. So when I get feedback from people who tell me that my work is better in person then in my photos, then the compliment means so much more!

I have a small selection of new work that is now available in my shop here, and a little bit available on my Etsy shop. I can no longer guarantee that it arrive outside of Canada in time for Christmas, although if you want a gift receipt to include in a card or want to bump up your shipping to courier service, just send me an email or convo. I won't be doing a proper 'launch' of new work on my website until the new year so stay tuned for that!

OOAK Vancouver 2011

2011-12-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

First off- THANK YOU to those of you who came and visited me at the One of a Kind Show Vancouver this year! I appreciate the support I've felt locally this year and am so grateful for how many people came by to visit my booth and purchase my pottery this year! Once again I'm ending the year with a pretty bare studio and the last bit of work that I do have will end up at the Gallery of BC Ceramics on Granville Island (so if you're in a pinch head over there) and there will probably be a bit to put online but not to arrive in time for Christmas.

I'd also like to send out a big thank you to my good friend Kat who has been helping me out in the studio and at my shows on and off this fall! Kat comes from a fashion design and retail background and was able to help me pack and ship out the large Anthropologie order this fall. She's oh so stylish around the studio and has a great laugh too. Love her!

Otherwise it was amazing to meet some really talented people at the show. I came home with some amazing work- a little art, some amazing jewelry from here and here, a great jacket and shirt while I coveted this jacket (so want it..)! And of course, some pottery by the lovely April Gates!

One of a Kind Vancouver 2011

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'll be at the One of a Kind Show at the Vancouver Convention Centre West over the next few days! If you are in Vancouver, please do stop by- I'll be at booth H42!

Show hours are as follows:
Thursday-Saturday 10am-9pm
Sunday 10am-5pm
admission $12 ($2 off if purchased online)

And a sneak peek at just a couple new photos of work that will be available during the show!! Photos by Curtis Hildebrand photography

Strathona Charm

2011-12-06T07:32:00.000-08:00

Strathcona is indeed a charming neighbourhood. It's a historic neighbourhood in East Vancouver that borders downtown's China Town and the industrial side of Clark Drive (near my studio). Many of the older homes have been renovated in recent years, causing the price of real estate in this area to really jump. Here are just a few photos that I took while I walked to Gailan's studio sale the other day from my studio. I loved how the Robin just sat there while I tried to take photos of it, getting as close as possible.
Hope your day is going well! I'll be loading a kiln and packing up for my set up for the One of a Kind Show tomorrow. It's almost show-time!

Gailan's home studio sale

2011-12-04T22:02:00.001-08:00

I managed to get to Gailan's home 'studio' sale this weekend, and I'm so glad I did. Gailan Ngan is a second generation potter (with her mom also being a painter) so pottery is in her genes, you might say. Her forms are all wheel-thrown, with an emphasis on simple and minimal glazing that makes these pots perfect for serving food in. Someone who was buying a stack of bowls beside me started talking about what he was going to serve in the bowls- perfect for a goulash or fish soup- and it's true, these are the perfect comfort-food pots. I happen to really love the cobalt 'ink' splatters on some of her pots, but went home with a beautiful short celadon cup and bowl as a breakfast set. Not sure I can part with it as a gift... I'll have to try them out first.
Gailan is now a mom to a beautiful little guy who is 3 and she recently had to leave her Strathcona studio, which she had been making pots out of for about 13 years (the owners renovated it into an apartment). She now makes all her work on Hornby Island in her dad's studio during the summer months (along with gardening up a storm), and then is back in her beautiful Strathcona home for the rest of the year.

The count-down to the One of a Kind Show (December 8-11) is on this week! Since I'm going to be so busy, I'll be closing up my online shops on December 8. Incidentally this is the last day for regular shipping rates to apply to the US to get there by Christmas. Thank you to all of those who have already been supporting my shops this month- I've been off to the post office every few days with some parcels and have felt like a little Christmas elf doing it.

So it's December... again

2011-12-02T09:13:00.001-08:00

I must be in the phase of life where time travels much faster then it ever used to. Where a year goes by in the blink of an eye and here we are in December again. Every year I feel like I'm on a freight train that starts out slowly but then picks up speed so that we are now barreling towards the holidays with what feels like a run-away train with no brakes to stop it. Because as a potter, this is the only time of year I seem to actually turn a profit with what I make- where people actually come flocking to my booth, madly buying up my wares as gifts, and I can't seem to keep up with the demand for my work. And all I want to do right now is get off the train and have this ride be over!

Well perhaps quite the opposite of the run-away train, we took the boys to the 'Polar Express' at the Train museum up in Squamish last weekend. It's a pretty penny to go on a real, old-fashioned train, to drink hot chocolate and sing carols while listening to the story of the Polar Express over the intercom. I think I'm so destination bound, that it was hard not to be disappointed that we didn't actually go anywhere- the train chugged along by the estuary to a loading bay and back to the station. Of course, these types of things are never for the adults, they are always for the kids and seeing Santa and riding on a mini-train indoors while it poured rain outside was a lot of fun for the boys. It's nice to have done something a little Christmassy around here, since my decorations don't come up at home until well after the One of a Kind Show (December 8-11).

Things are back in their place

2011-11-30T19:19:00.001-08:00

After setting up the studio all nice and neat so that over 3000 people could walk through my studio doors without being distracted by all the stuff I seem to have to store while I make, the house was a bit of a gong show. A quick trip to Ikea the other night solved 2 problems I was having: one being no place to put all my office stuff and lacking in desk space since Dean and I are sharing 1 desk for our laptops. Also the shelving unit will come in handy for my booth display at the One of a Kind Show, coming up in a week or so. Thankfully I didn't have to put it together- it was in the 'as is' section and I somehow managed to fit it in the back of the station wagon along with the 2 boys. Sometimes all it takes is some determination and creative woman-handling to get things done!

The studio is winding down for the year. I finished all 'wet work', as in starting with a ball of clay work, so what I have is what I have. I'll be closing up my online shops in a few days as I get closer to the show so that I don't double up on selling all my stock. Plus, regular shipping to the US needs to happen by December 8th (the 16th for Xpress post- a little more $) so things are starting to get a little tight for time. I've been getting lots of special requests for things that I actually do have in stock, just not up in the shop, so if you had something in mind, just send me an email. If I have it available, I'll ship it off pronto, if not, then put it on your wish list for next year!

Okay, off to read with the boys, soak in the tub and drink some tea.

Gift Guides and more!

2011-11-25T09:23:00.001-08:00

Well I don't have any of the lovely images that my photographer shot this past week yet, but I just wanted to stop in here before the weekend to say 'hello'! It's been a busy week at the studio, with me trying to re-stock some of these lovely mugs for the One of a Kind Show coming up in a couple of weeks. There are a number of Gift guides out there that are featuring my work and I've spent the week packing up orders and shipping them off in the midst of trying to re-stock. It's busy and I feel like a little elf dancing around the studio trying to get it all done in time.
Speaking of which. Ceramics takes time, so if you were thinking of putting a little dahlhaus under the tree this Christmas, please note that my last firing will most likely take place early December. I'm not expecting to make new work late into December, because I'll be planning a special someone's birthday party, getting ready for Christmas, and spending time with loved ones after my last show on December 8-11th. So, please note that my shop is up-dated to include ready-to-ship items that can still make it in time for the holidays!!
Ok, off to the studio for the day I go- have a wonderful weekend (finally sunny out here- time to rake the leaves:).

Harper's Bazaar Gift Guide

2011-11-22T08:28:00.001-08:00

It came to my attention this past weekend the my Striped Bottle Vases that are being sold through Anthropologie are part of Harper Bazaar's Stylish Gifts under $100 guide! Although I'm not sure I would call them 'Retro Rose Holders', it's pretty exciting to see my hand-made all by me vases on their site beside all these big-name designers with made in china stuff. CRAZY!!

Thank you!

2011-11-22T08:05:00.001-08:00

Thank you so much to all of you who were able to come by my studio for the Eastside Culture Crawl this year! I was really blown away by how many friends came out especially to say hello to me! It's one of those events that seems to build onto itself year after year, as people become excited about the work that's being made and want to be part of it. So thank you to all of you who came and visited and supported my studio! It means so much!

You are officially invited...

2011-11-15T23:21:00.001-08:00

Here's a little glimpse of the main wall of my studio at last year's Eastside Culture Crawl on opening night! With about 300 artist studios open in East Vancouver, it's an amazing annual cultural event! I'll be spending the next few days working on the show, so please excuse my absence but if you are in Vancouver, come on down. I'm at 965 Vernon Drive, on the ground floor at the end of the hall of the Mergatroid building. Have a great weekend and don't forget to stop by! I'll post photos of the studio here next week!

Bookhou at Circle Craft

2011-11-14T21:41:00.001-08:00

I managed to sneak in a quick visit with Arounna from Bookhou at Circle Craft this last Saturday. It was great to see a table full of her beautiful hand-screened linens as bags and tea towels! I'm thrilled to be working on a show involving myself and Krystal Speck later in Spring of 2012 at Bookhou so it was good to briefly talk about the collaboration with Arounna before it all gets started in the new year.

Arounna and her husband John have a really unique creative partnership that never ceases to amaze me- they work seemingly effortlessly between art and then the more production side of their craft, successfully running a brick & mortar shop with rotating shows and workshops, keeping a busy online store, a blog, an online magazine not to mention their 2 young children! I try to convince myself that if I owned a store front building in the city with a studio at the back and our home upstairs that I'd be able to get as much done as Arounna and John do, but I'm not sure I could keep up if I tried.

A quick preview

2011-11-14T07:32:00.001-08:00

I pulled out my first kiln-load and quickly shot these photos on a dark day in the studio, but here's a sample of the work I had been glazing last week. The tall striped vases didn't make it into this kiln firing, save one, but I've got some new work coming out of the kiln later this week and then more by Saturday of the Eastside Culture Crawl. It's a bit of a scramble this year to feel like I'm going to have enough work for my 2 shows. The emails of special orders and reserving work have started and I've already sold out of the short striped mugs I had made for this weekend.

I had been really excited about trying different glazes as the 'backdrop' of my pots but I'm not as keen on it as I thought. There are some things I like about it- I like the way the yellow and turquoise triangles play with each other, and thought it was a no-brainer to include a few little white triangles in the mix, but really regretted it when I pulled it out of the kiln. On the other hand, the white mug with the greeny/grey triangles with hits of yellow, feels much more successful although I think it could be fun to play around with the colours. Some of the edges between the glazes got a bit fuzzy and not so straight, partly due to the glazes I used. I'm also not quite convinced about the reverse bottle vases. I have now tried the turquoise, saffron and grey (which was a complete flop). Maybe next time I'll try to pair glaze colours together...

Studio sneak peak & Up-coming Crawl

2011-11-10T08:08:00.001-08:00

If you've been following me on Instagram (dahlhaus art), you'll know that I've been pretty busy in the making department at the studio. My first kiln-load of work for my holiday shows goes in on Friday, with 2 more to follow next week- hopefully all just in time for the Eastside Culture Crawl. I've been doing this open studio event for about 5 years now and every year it warms my heart to see people in my studio space checking out what I've been working on in the past year. I usually get the studio all dolled out (see last year's display here) and bake a few goodies for the opening night, so if you are in the Vancouver area, it's a show you won't want to miss!

The details: 965 Vernon Drive, Friday hours 5-10, Saturday/Sunday 11-6. For show details, including all the other studios that are open, check out the Crawl website!

Rice Lake in Fall

2011-11-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

Sunday was a stunner. It was a glorious fall day so while Dean headed off for a work trip, the boys and I went up to Rice Lake, a small little lake by the Lynn Canyon headwaters, quite close to our place**. I had forgotten that people like to fish in this lake. It was remarkable, really, the amount of people lining the edge of the lake, fishing for little fresh water trout. The boys were keen to watch people pulling up fish, not so keen to watch the fish get bopped on the head. Sasha thought it was a shame the fish weren't being kept as pets instead, giving me examples of ways to catch a fish without a hook so that you wouldn't hurt the fish. Oh that kid has a heart of gold, I tell ya. These are the days I'll remember as they get older.

**One of the benefits of living in North Vancouver is that we can drive Downtown and it will take about 15-20 minutes. Or we can drive up the mountain with almost less time and we get to see this. Best of both worlds, but sometimes depressingly un-affordable if we ever hope to own a house.

Fungi

2011-11-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

I found an old copy of 'Edible Fungi' that my sister had in her bookshelf and poured over the illustrations. And then on a walk with the boys I found a myriad of mushrooms in the forest, mostly in dark corners so my photos weren't so great. Nonetheless, I wasn't about to test my new found knowledge. With so many being poisonous, I would only trust an expert to compare the illustrations to the real thing, confirming that yes, indeed, this was one that could be eaten!

A little Island time

2011-11-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

Living on the Island seems so ideal. My sister and her family live in Nanaimo, but in a little secluded spot, where they can keep chickens and a couple of goats, at the end of a street where an old apple orchard used to grow, with salmon spawning in the creek on their property. It's hard not to love the Island, although to walk across on the Ferry for our family of 4 (a not quite 2 hour ride) not including overnight parking is close to $100, so we don't go visit as often as we'd like. Next time we visit, we are going to try to get to 'Shack Island' a little lagoon that you can venture to during very low tides where old fishing shacks from the 30's still stand. On our trip home we saw a pod of dolphins playing in the wake of the Ferry. By the time I got out on deck to take some photos the dophins were much farther out, but the sunset and sky nearly took my breath away.

To the Island we go!

2011-11-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy long week of late days at the studio. Dean's been doing all the school pick-ups and dinners so I can stay late and get my work ready for my up-coming shows: the Eastside Culture Crawl and the One of a Kind Show Vancouver. It's because he'll be away a lot in the next 2 weeks, so I'm trying to make up for what will be lost time. Ahh the juggle.
We haven't been to Vancouver Island to visit my sister and her family since May or June, so we will be going over, just for the night and Saturday, to spend a bit of time with them. This photo of the arbutus trees (tree on the right with the red bark) and moss was taken last fall- it's such a beautiful tree that is naturally growing in the pacific northwest coast.
Have a great weekend!

Creating Texture

2011-11-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my niece and her friends came by the studio for a little pottery party to celebrate her 15th birthday. Before they all arrived I pulled out all my tools for some handbuilding that we were going to do- wooden stamps, rubber stamps, cookie cutters and cutting tools. I liked how inspiring they all were and started thinking again about how I could bring 'stamped' patterns into my own work.
It had me thinking back to the work I did in collaboration with my friend Disa MacKay last year. I don't know that I've posted the final pieces here, but here's a few of the hand-built with relief patterned vases we made, photographed professionally so that they look really lovely. The patterns we used were all hand-cut, without using any commercially made stamps. If I remember correctly, our 'paisley' inspired pieces took the longest and were the most complicated to make.

Now available at Anthropologie

2011-11-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

Well it's kind of remarkable to see my work up on the Anthropologie website! From start to finish this has taken months of work, with everything handmade by me in my little studio in Vancouver (huge sigh of relief that it's all done!!).
Besides my Striped Bottle Vases, there are 2 of my paintings available for purchase through the Anthropologie website! It's exciting for me to see a new painting from this year, entitled 'Train Tower', along with one of my favourite paintings from a few years ago called 'Red Stairwells' on their site.

Please do have a look on their site to check out the work. The vases should be available at an Anthropologie store near you soon!

Irodori, I'm impressed!

2011-10-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

I'm in total awe today by the clay work of Irodori- such beautiful and well-executed patterns! I love when I get totally impressed by someone who works in clay- where something surprises me, makes my jaw drop and has me wanting to see more. That's all coloured clay put into a patterned block and rolled out- it's so remarkable that the shapes aren't getting distorted in the process. That takes a lot of skill, patience and practice! Wish I could read japanese and could purchase something...

On a Sunday in October

2011-10-30T22:52:00.000-07:00

About a week ago the boys and I went on a great walk/bike ride, enjoying the bit of sunshine against the fall trees. This is the kind of weather that makes me love where I live. Ask me in about 3 months time when it's been raining for 5 weeks straight and I might not be so keen, but for right now, it's just so beautiful.
I've been neglecting this space for a while. I'm not online or on the computer very often these days. For starters, the busy season has me ramping up my efforts in the studio and I get home, with clay splattering over my cloths, the boys hungry for my attention, and few precious hours to spare. I've been wanting to read before bed and put my mind on other things, not just work and that's been healthy for me. Frankly, my life has been rather quiet lately: a lot of introspection after a great amount of work completed, long conversations with friends who need me to be a good listener, and time spent doing things as a family have all been more of a priority. All that being said, I will be stopping by here a couple of times a week, sharing some new work, up-coming shows, along with the occasional ramble from my heart. I do hope you'll hang in here with me...

New sketches out of the kiln

2011-10-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

Well I did get a few new 'sketches' of ideas out of the kiln this last weekend (please excuse the i-phone pics)! I'm still sorting out which ideas might work out as more of a series, but I think there are some good little 'moments' here and I'm liking the direction that it's leading me to. As I sit down with my process of glazing, I've been realizing once again the potential for how I come up with patterns and designs. It's kind of exciting for me- this type of development of ideas and work feels very organically linked to my past work, but also pushing me in a bit of a new direction. I can't deny the 'folk art' and paper-cutting influences this time around. It's complicated with my process to get connected repeating patterns all around a vessel, but it's also kind of fun challenge. Again, I don't use any decals, so my method of creating 'stencils' is done with me and a pair of scissors, for each glaze design. I thought it would be interesting to embrace my 'scissor-hands' by referencing paper-cutting motifs, and I've been moving some of my work into folk-art motifs for quite a while.

2011-10-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm ending the week on a positive note- I finally tackled a few more things that have been hanging over my head (namely accounting), and got caught up, thanks to help from a friend. It was seriously a daunting task. I know that this is something that's supposed to happen weekly or monthly, but sorting receipts has been the very last thing on my to do list, never to be crossed off. And then it got out of hand. Mounds and mounds of shipping receipts that I couldn't even imagine trying to record and sort through. Mental block hit, and this last week I had the brainwave idea to get Kat to come in for help. She helped me pack all the boxes to send to Anthropologie (they have arrived! not online yet) and she really is a wiz at being organized. So, along with finishing up all my local shop orders, I feel as if I have a handle on things once again. More or less, that is. Until I realize that I don't actually have anything ready for my holiday shows... all in due time.

I'll be in the studio this weekend with a bunch of 14 year old girls. Our niece is celebrating her birthday and I offered for them to come to the studio while it's still bare, to do some making. I have a feeling it's going to be full of laughs and giggles.

Have a great weekend!

green to yellow

2011-10-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get myself geared up for my 2 up-coming shows, and I must admit that it's hard to think about Christmas and holidays with this kind of weather. We are probably due in for a bunch of rain soon, but in the meantime, it's been lovely during the days, colder at night, with only a hint of frost. The apples are starting to turn sweet, and we are going to have to get a hold of some more soon.

I always find that fall feels like a good time to hash out new designs and ideas that have been stirring while all the other production has been going on. Although this year my designs are getting more complicated and less efficient in the glazing department. Glazing a kiln-load of work is taking me a whole week, when it used to take about 3 days, partly because I'm working through design ideas, but also because my process is just that- slow. This does not bode well for me when it comes to wholesale orders. I feel the pressure of needing to get the work out faster and smarter, and even cheaper. It's an interesting thing to think through- how much wholesale (ie double the amount of work) can my business sustain. I'm sure there are some good formulas out there for how much direct sales/wholesale/e-sales is a good mix- it would be interesting to know what that should look like. I guess finding the 'perfect formula' is somewhat subjective, but it would be at least nice to know.

Saying goodbye and hello

2011-10-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my grandpa's life this past weekend and, as sad as it is to say goodbye, it was a meaningful time to think back on a life well-lived. My grandpa has passed along many gifts my way- I still play his violin that he gave me years ago after he stopped playing. Not only did I inherit some of his actual paintings, but his gift of making (pottery, painting, carving) is something that was passed along to me. For people who truly lived off the land, raised 6 children, and were faithfully and happily married for 66 years, my grandparents have left a remarkable legacy. My heart is with my grandma, who just moved into 'town' and into an apartment this week- so many changes for her all at once.

Speaking of family, we also got to see my little nephew again. It had been a couple of months since we had seen him and in the meantime he's been walking and talking. It didn't take him long to warm up to my boys- his cousins. By the end of 2 days he was running back and forth between them with arms wide open, smiling and laughing and saying 'hi'. What joy!

Along the ride

2011-10-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

How are you, dear readers? I hope well!

I've been really thinking things through lately. You know, thinking and planning the next leg of my journey. It's hard not to get through a massive order, complete a project I didn't think was possible a year ago, and not wonder what will happen next. I've been thinking about if I could take on more, or if I need to re-think the whole process of my production again. It's been a good time of soul searching, talking to people and other ceramic artists and mostly, trying to wrestle with some big questions about the how and why I do what I do, and what I want to do next.

I guess I feel as though there is a little clock ticking in the back of my head. It seems pretty obvious that for me to keep this pace up would mean eventual burn-out. To expand my studio and to take on staff would move what I do into manufacturing and managing, and that's not really where my heart is either. I really like that I have a 'studio practice' that allows me to make work that is affordable for people to own. I also love that I created a method to re-create my designs into collections, however I'm not using traditional manufacturing methods that would speed this process up. It still takes me about 3-4 days to glaze a kiln-load of work. Full, long days of many steps and lots of attention to little picky details. The reality is, that it's costing me a lot more to produce what I make then it used to. My time has become more valuable and I'm not entirely sure how to reconcile this with what will come next.

I don't have any deadlines. Nor do I have a guidebook. I'm looking at different ceramic artist's careers and thinking about what I like about what they seem to have. And then I'm shifting that into whether that fits with my work and career path. Such an interesting and difficult career path to be on, being a maker and designer these days... there really is no 'right' way, is there?

Ponies and grapes

2011-10-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

It's the season of bounty and we are gathering, making and storing for the winter now. My boys are at the stage where they are eating more then me and seem eternally hungry (ie asking what supper will be while they are eating lunch). I don't buy all organic all the time (too expensive!), but am conscious of where my food comes from and how it was grown. It's such a tricky balance where it seems like a luxury to afford what is good and wholesome for hungry boys. And this fall I'm trying to think as creatively as we can to make healthy, relatively inexpensive meals for our family that both satisfy and nourish their growing bodies. Part of this includes going directly to the farms or farmers to buy our food.

The grapes in the vineyard behind my parent's place aren't quite ready yet. Last year was a bad year- mice had nibbled away at the roots of many of the vines and there hadn't been many grapes, so we felt like we missed eating these grapes. This year it looks like a bumper crop, except that we need about a week of sun to ripen the rest of it. We'll be making grape juice and then also grape jelly out of these grapes that lasts us for about a year. It's so amazing to be able to make and bake out of what grows around us, isn't it?

And the ponies were just an added bonus. How cute are they.

2011-10-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's the friday before Thanksgiving weekend and I'm at home today, catching up on all things computer-related, with my mind spinning and my body slowly starting to decompress from the last 3 months. It's been an intense period of production for me: I shipped and dropped off over 500 pots this week! That's a lot of pots for my 2 hands (with a bit of help from a couple of other hands here and there) to make in my little 300 sq ft. studio, and as you can imagine, I'm asking myself how I can possibly keep this up and where I can possibly go from here. I had a really significant conversation with an amazing ceramic artist this week and am processing some much-needed insight into what a career as a ceramic artist in today's day and age can truly be. Mind-boggling actually!

The day Steve Jobs suddenly passed away was also the day my 93.5 year old grandpa passed away. His passing was sudden, and yet not sudden. He had fallen and ended up in emergency. He seemed fine and he was himself, but he had a bit of pneumonia. No one seemed alarmed and so he had told my grandma and parents to go home, have some dinner and come back later. And an hour or so later he had passed away. Just like that. Of course we all would have wished that he was surrounded by his family. That we all had been able to say 'goodbye'. That's the part that's hard.

I'm due for a good relaxing weekend off from the studio but I'm anticipating being back here a little more next week, now that things have calmed down a little in the studio. Have a great weekend!

A day of design

2011-10-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

I managed to get to a 'design double feature' on Saturday with Amy- we attended IDS West and then headed over to Anthropologie for the Design*Sponge book launch. It made for a great afternoon and evening- apparently we weren't the only one's who's schedule managed to fit in both too- Janis from Pinecone Camp has some amazing photos of both events on her blog!

There were some booths that stood out to me- if you click on the photos it will link you to their websites (except for the 6th image, which I forgot to get a card from). It was also nice to meet Zoe from Fleet Design, a ceramic artist here in the city who's path I hadn't come across yet, while also checking out a couple of furniture designers who have studios upstairs in the building from me: Kurve Studio, by Enrico Konig and Kurt Dexel.

The Design*Sponge book launch was also a good evening connecting with people as well. I did manage to get my book signed by Grace herself and highly recommend the book! I ran into the duo behind Banquet who design such lovely prints, stationary and other paper goods- there really are a lot of talented people here in Vancouver! Too many to mention without sounding like I'm name dropping- when really it was just lovely to meet them all. It's not very often that I get out to these events with life and family and the studio keeping me so busy. It reminded me that my 'role' as an artist and maker is more then just making and then selling my work- it's also connecting, not only with customers, but with other makers, designers, artist, photographers, and bloggers.

This week my big shipment of work leaves the studio- the packing is almost complete! I can't wait to have my studio back to 'normal'. I'm also looking forward to taking much of Thanksgiving weekend off to celebrate birthdays and our anniversary, along with spending time with family!

Mountain top wedding

2011-09-28T23:43:00.000-07:00

Ok so I have seen a few phenomenal-looking weddings on photography blogs and websites before. You know, amazing photographers with stunning photos of over-the-top gorgeous brides in stunning settings.
Well we pretty much checked it all off the list with this one. Mountain top resort: check. Gondola ride for the guests, checking out the resident Grizzly Bear below as we head up to the top: check. Stunning bride with amazing dress and veil arriving in a helicopter!!: check. Ice-wine martinis and appies on the patio overlooking a 360 degree view at 8000 ft.: check. Ok that's probably enough of a check-list, but needless to say, we had quite an amazing time at the wedding of one of Dean's former skate club kids. Dean even got a temporary permit to perform the wedding ceremony so it was pretty special. And we got to hang out with some friends from Calgary who also left their boys home with the grandparents. So, yes. Good memories for sure!

Something fresh

2011-09-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been a busy few weeks at the studio and I'm at the stage where I've just had to put my head down and 'get 'er' done (sooo close!!) Things are coming along, but to be honest, I'm tired. I got hit with a cold this week and it's taken the wind out of my sails. I haven't had time to take photos or blog lately, mostly because things have just been all about getting back into the routine of fall, packing up orders, finishing up new orders, trying to complete old orders, and wondering how a day can go by so fast with so much left to do.

For fun I thought I'd switch up the stripes on my vase in the last firing, just to see what I thought. It might be something I work with a few of my glazes- I also thought I might work on some colour pairing instead of the white. That's the one thing that's great about my glazing method- I'm never limited to things being one way, even though I admit that once I find a way and a combination that works, it can take me a while before I'll be willing to try something new. After pulling out hundreds of these vases from the kiln this summer I've been ready for something 'fresh' to lay my eyes on!

We are heading out of town for a wedding this weekend. It's up in the mountains, about an 8 hour drive from Vancouver. We won't be taking the boys (thank you Grandparents!!), but Dean is involved in the wedding so it will be busy but possibly a good little break for both of us. I'm hoping to get some much needed rest so I can start feeling like I have the energy to get back to finishing all the work I've started all summer. What a good feeling it will be when it's all finished!

21 Pop Shop

2011-09-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

I'm just popping by to let you know about a Pop-up Shop for the SF Art and Design Show & Sale that my work is part of! A few weeks ago Lauren & Derek from The Curiosity Shoppe in SF contacted me to say they were curating this Pop-up Shop (called the 21 Pop Shop) as part of the event and asked if I could be involved! So I'm thrilled that the work arrived in the nick of time (literally!) to be part of the shop!

Here are the details if you are in the San Fransisco area- it sounds like it's going to be an amazing show!

SF20/21: san francisco art and design show & sale

september 16-18, 2011
festival pavilion at fort mason center

open to the public - show hours
friday & saturday: 11am - 7pm
sunday: noon - 5pm

admission $15 - includes show catalog and re-entry

featuring 30 premier national and international exhibitors presenting decorative and fine arts from all design movements of the 20th century.

I'll be posting very randomly over the next 2 weeks. I'm currently packing up my huge order to be shipped out, starting another order that is over-due for a local shop of mine and trying to keep all the balls of family, school and life up in the air in the midst of it. Something had to give and it's been my blog- hope you will understand.
Have a great weekend!

2011-09-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hello! Just popping in with a few instagram pics for you- if you would like to follow along, I'm under 'dahlhausart'. I have a theory that instagram will be the new twitter... I much prefer following people visually then following people's tweets. And an image is worth a thousand words, isn't it?

I've had a busy week, getting the boys back to school and working at the studio. I'm almost to the packing stage of this large order so the end is in sight! I'm off to buy boxes today, I loaded possibly the last of the glaze firings yesterday, so my head and body are starting to come down from all the work involved, which of course means I'm struggling with a bit of a head cold. I'm hoping to be able to sit back and relax this weekend and really enjoy the last bit of summer this weekend!

Hope your weekend is great!

summer skies on the shore

2011-09-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

I've been looking through the photos I took this summer and noticed that I took a lot of 'sky' images against the backdrop of the ocean. Photos of skies and sunsets never seem to be quite as amazing as being there in person, but somehow these are the images I want to keep in my mind as we head into the school year. It's with a twinge of regret that I head into fall. Perhaps it was that the summer seemed so short this year with the weather in July being so cold. Most likely it's that my kids are getting one year older, things are getting busier and more complicated. Nothing is staying the same, but is constantly changing and moving like the tides in the ocean and the movement of clouds and sun in the sky. The rhythm of fall is going to be starting up again, and the swift tide moving towards the end of the year is coming much faster then I could imagine. I just want to soak in the beauty a little longer...

Atomic Ranch: Cool Stuff!

2011-09-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

My work has been featured in Atomic Ranch's Fall 2011 issue! It's a magazine of all things mid-century and modern, so it's amazing to be highlighted, considering a lot of my inspiration comes from this era!
I've been receiving some lovely emails from shops and readers of the magazine and while I don't have a lot of work currently available, I do take pre-orders via email (heather@dahlhausart.com). I have a lot of new work currently drying out on the shelves, getting ready to be glazed over the next couple of weeks, so thank you in advanced for your patience!
I've had such an extremely busy couple of months creating work for some amazing retailers and a pop up shop, as well as sending work to a set design for a TV show, all things I can't wait to share on my blog very soon!

Embracing the gold within

2011-09-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the golden hues of fall, I'm managing to embrace this colour with a few finds from the thrift shop. I couldn't resist the sunny pattern of this enamel plate, which fits rather well into our kitchen. It's one of those things about our place that I wouldn't change even if I owned the house... our kitchen, that is. Albeit an odd layout, with a very small eating area, I love the cheeriness of the tiles and golden counter. I'm sure I would have cringed at this colour in the 80's but I can't quite seem to get enough of it now! So much that I also bought this blanket for the kids bed. Whenever I look at it I think of a summer cabin- it kind of has that feel and look to it, like it belongs in someone's cabin.

Perhaps it's because it's mis-matched and a bit odd.

Well, here's to the weekend- the long weekend! School starts next week and I have a bit more to do to get the boys ready, lots more to work on in the studio and I'll be saying 'goodbye' to Sarah, my summer studio intern. I'm sad to see her head back to school- she's been amazing in the studio with me this summer! Her enthusiasm and hard work has made this massive undertaking all the more do-able. I really couldn't have asked for a better assistant for the summer and wish her all the best this year at school. She's got big plans for her career: with her hard-work, attitude and talent, I have no doubt she'll make it happen!

This Charming Wedding

2011-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm always excited to catch a glimpse of my vases in action! This week I received a lovely photo from one of the owners of the Green Room, a shop that carries my striped bottle vases in Courtney BC, on Vancouver Island. This is from her wedding (congratulations Cortney!), photographed by Crystal Clear Photography, with re-finished vintage furniture by Gabriel's Attic (also available at the Green Room)! Such simple and lovely styling, don't you agree!

the last hurrah of Summer

2011-08-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

We managed to get away for one last road-trip up to Vernon. It's a 5 hour drive through amazing mountains to the Lake Country- where the climate is dry and hot. There are orchards everywhere and we managed to come home with a bunch of fruit to make jams and just eat fresh. I won't have time much time to make the jam though (that's Dean's job), as you can see, it's been a very productive summer. This is only half of the vases that were made this summer... a 'little' order I've been working on that will be ready to ship early October. Details to come soon:)! In the meantime, I'm trying to work on some of my 'regular work' (non-vase related) so hopefully I'll have my online shops stocked up again soon!
Thanks for hanging in here- I'm hoping to get back into a regular schedule of blogging, with 'real photos' (not just i-phone photos), and real content soon. School for the boys doesn't start until next week so they are hanging out with their Dad at home this week, getting the last of their fill of lego playing and back-lane scootering with the neighbours. Hope your last week of summer is great!

2011-08-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

Dean got home from a trip to Toronto and Montreal late yesterday, and I'm very relieved to no longer be solo parenting. I usually have the boys on my own for at least an extended weekend a month, but in summer it's more like 2 full weeks. Generally things are rough the first day Dean is gone and the last day before he gets home, but the middle time goes by fast, once we find our rhythm.
Of course, the boys are getting older, which means things are getting a bit easier. They want to help out while grocery shopping, not run around the store like monkey's chasing each other, like they used to. Perhaps the incentive of getting to keep the quarter in the cart after they help out is part of it, but hopefully also the fact that they are starting to grow up. My 9 year old is clearly getting closer to the pre-teen stage then the school-age stage. He wants to listen to 'dance music' in his room on the radio, he rolls his eyes if I have to talk to him about his behavior, all the while still playing lego and having light saber battles. He's tall too- his head reaches my chin. Yes, he's going to be as tall as me soon. Yikes.

Cat Nap Yoga

2011-08-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Yup, she's sound asleep in these photos in all her stretched out glory. Doesn't it just make you want to curl up and take a nap?!
I've been solo-parenting again this weekend but am so grateful for neighbours and friends who were kind enough to invite us to dinner or to go swimming so we weren't lonely or bored. The boys even managed to help me at the studio one morning, unloading and loading yet another kiln load of bottle vases. 4 of 6 glaze kiln-loads (85 vases per firing!!) have been finished- I'm over the mid-way point! Phew, what a lot of work, but I can't complain- very few vases so far have been seconds, so thank goodness for that!
Hope you have a great monday! It's our first rainy day of August.

Lost & Found Paintings

2011-08-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's nice to find paintings in places I wouldn't expect. It inspires me to think differently about venue, space, mark making and colour. I really love the random marks and painting on the bottom garage- made by kids? with painted over graffiti and faded zebras...

Two major commercial art galleries in Vancouver have closed their doors. It's caused a bit of a ripple of speculation among artists about reasons that are beyond just the economy, or the personal reasons of the gallery owners. Some say the amount of art fundraisers in Vancouver at this time have changed how people buy art. That people feel better about buying art when they are supporting a greater cause. Perhaps without realizing it, what seems like a win/win for an art collector, has the potential to be a lose/lose for both the galleries that support artists, and the artists themselves.

It's been interesting to think this through over the past few days and just to wonder about how art markets around the world have been changing. Two fairly recent films I've watched about contemporary art were The Great Contemporary Art Bubble by Ben Lewis and Exit through the Gift Shop by Banksy. Both had me really thinking about contemporary art, it's relevance, it's value, and purpose. I find the art market rather intimidating, perhaps this is why I make more ceramics then paintings, but also very intriguing.

Dream Boat

2011-08-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

There is something so dreamy about a little row boat. Forget a huge yacht, a little row boat is what ends up stealing my heart.

Watching the Tides

2011-08-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

Island get-a-way's are pretty easy to slip into when they involve warm weather, lots of beach, and a beautiful log cabin. Our friends were great hosts and the boys had heaps of fun skim boarding, sandcastle building, getting motorbike rides around the Island, and even doing some tubing out on the water behind a boat. It's the kind of place you want to spend the whole summer just watching the tide go in and out.

East Van Skateboarding talent

2011-08-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

While we're away, I thought I would share one of the skate videos that Dean's van full of skaters (ages 13-19, plus 2 adult leaders) created while they were at 'Roadrage' Skate Camp last week. Dean (my husband) has been running a skateboard club for teens in East Van for about 12 years now and also heads up a camp that's been happening for about 15 years. At first the SkateCamp was at a regular summer camp, but they would build ramps for the kids to skate for the week. The past few years they've done a road-trip style SkateCamp, where they've met with Skate Clubs from all over Western Canada in the Okanagan for an 'Amazing Race' style trip for Skateboarders, with a manifest that they had to fill out by landing tricks at certain spots etc. This year each van had to film a skate video throughout the week and then they rented out a theatre to watch the videos, with the best video winning a 'van-full' of skate product (with 2nd & 3rd place also winning prizes too!). So bear with me and check the video out- it's not just a bunch of skate tricks. By the way, they one first place :)!

Summer memories

2011-08-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

We are heading out to Savary Island for a few days for some much needed R&R. The summer feels like it's just flying by and now that our weather feels summery we want to spend a little time enjoying it before the boys head back to $#*ool (It's a 'bad word' around here this summer:)!
Here are some of the flowers in bloom in our yard right now- so many purples and pinks. The vase is one of the last I have from the collaboration between my friend and designer Disa MacKay, from last year. And the textile piece is something I got at a thrift store when I was about 18 years old. It brings up memories of the shed at my parent's place; my sister and I spent one summer completely decorating the inside of it with thrift-store finds and having slumber parties in the loft. I'm hoping we'll make a few summer memories like that for the boys this week!

on my side of the fence

2011-08-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

I've had to step back on the blogging front here this past week. I'm so busy, working hard, long hours to be on schedule and to keep up with everything while Dean is away. The boys were at the family farm for a few days and I was able to pool together a few lovely people: my sister, my good friend Kat, Sarah and my cousin, to help me out with the most tedious and repetitive part of my glazing process- the stripes. I'll be firing my first of 6 glaze loads to complete this order I've been working on... so much work. In the meantime, a lot of my local galleries are starting to send me orders to finish up the summer with. Not only do I not have a lot of spare work in the studio, but I also don't have any room or energy to make anything besides this order until September comes, even when they are expecting and asking for me to send the work asap. Since when did pottery get made asap?
I often straddle between worrying that I can't possibly keep up with the demand for my work verses being concerned that people won't be able to afford what I make, considering all the financial crises and budget cuts. I hesitate to push my little studio into a bigger space with more equipment and a full-time assistant in order to keep up production, and yet I am at full capacity with just one order right now. It's clear to me a few things have to change for me not to burn out, but I'm not quite sure what it will be yet. I'm just taking it one day at a time and trying not to feel too overwhelmed by it all.

Summer style

2011-07-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

My newly traded natural dyed silk scarf by Janna & shirt by Modaspia.

gone camping

2011-07-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

It hasn't exactly been the ideal summer to go camping. It's rained and has been cold 90% of the time on the westcoast of BC (I know all those heat-wave folks are probably envious, but I guess the grass is always greener...). So when the weather turned nice this past weekend, we headed out with the Boler up to Hick's Lake, about 2 hours outside of Vancouver, to go camping with our neighbours and their 2 younger boys. Arriving on a balmy warm day seemed a little too good to be true, and despite the weather forecasting sunny and warm, it quickly turned cold and nearly raining on us. While I'm not too keen on the bug bites, the outhouses, lack of showers, or camping in the rain (despite us having Dean's folk's Boler to keep us dry at night), it was good to be out of cell range, stoke a campfire in the evenings and camp with the neighbours. We feel so fortunate to live on a street where we can connect with people beyond a little wave while getting the mail!

**We came back to the sad news about Norway, including news through friends that one of their family members was at the camp where the shootings took place. Apparently she found a place to hide and was safe, however I can only imagine the shock, horror and tragedy that is affecting so many people who were involved or had family involved. My heart goes out...

Snow Cone Magic

2011-07-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

For the first time this summer we went to the Lonsdale Night Market. Not too far from where we live, the weather out here has just not exhibited quite enough summer for us to really take advantage of these Markets until this past weekend. The whole idea of Farmer's Markets and night markets with food vendors, live music and some artisan tables is really just starting to take hold out here. I think it's a tough sell, if you are trying to sell handmade items at these events, since it seemed to me that most people were putting their money on a snow cone, fresh lemonade and a taco.

So yes, we were all about the snow cones. Oh, they were good. I don't think I'd really had one with shaved ice before, especially considering the woman came down from Whistler and was using (by my prediction) fresh spring water for her ice. Seriously, these were yummy. And I'll be back for more, most likely also checking out the taco stand or the forno pizza (oh yes, street pizza- and I bet it was good!).

The colour purple

2011-07-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

showed up as I was digging up a few potatoes for our dinner. Last year it was purple beans, this year, purple potatoes.
**I am just realizing that I've used this burlap coffee sack in the past number of photos as a background. I got it from our local roasters who gave me a stack of them for free when I inquired what they do with all the empty coffee sacks. I'm still sorting out what to do with them, but for now it's been the perfect covering on an old table that we keep on the porch.

Custom Orders

2011-07-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

As much as things are a little busy in the studio these days with one order of one item, I have been doing a wee bit of custom work for people to shake things up a bit for myself.
Custom work is tricky- I always have to make an extra set or item because something generally goes wrong. I also only take on custom orders if the work is in line with what I'm already making so I'm not having to re-invent the wheel (no pun intended;). When the order turns out well, it's a refreshing change from what usually happens, which is that it takes me twice as long to complete an order. I know a lot of people charge double for custom work, (because of the extra time involved), and I sometimes charge more because it might be a new glaze I've got to test or new forms I have to develop for the order, however most often I use the opportunity to experiment within my regular body of work. And often I end up liking how things turn out.
How do you feel about custom orders if you get requests? Do you feel that you have to charge a lot extra for them?
I hope you have a great weekend! I'm hoping to finally up-date my online shops to include some of the work that made it home from Renegade. And hopefully we'll start feeling like summer in our neck of the woods:)!

Keeping motivated

2011-07-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday this week and things are being kept pretty low-key around here. My boys are at my folk's place all week while work continues on the largest order I've ever filled. It's not for the faint of heart these large orders. It's a whole lot of intensely physical work and I've been going to bed with sore muscles from all the lifting and pouring of molds in my little studio. I'm so grateful to have Sarah with me in the studio this summer- her energy and enthusiasm is certainly helping me stay motivated to keep at it. At the rate we are going, we'll only have 1 more week of slip-casting, and the rest of the summer will be glazing, glazing and more glazing. If all goes as planned, the bulk of the order will be finished by the end of the summer (and by the time Sarah has to go back to school), so I'm just finishing up the last bits in time to send it off early October. By then I'll be full-on in Holiday mode. Phew, what a year!!

photos: The waterlilies at the studio are blooming again!
I remembered I had this photo kicking around- circa 1981 or 82. Love the wallpaper, and clearly, I am ready to party!!

BBQ's & Back-alley walks

2011-07-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

We are trying to make the most of summer, despite the rain. We are almost finished with the salmon we bought last fall during the record Sockeye Salmon run. My brother-in-law cut it up for us (he used to work at a Fishing Lodge) and we vac-packed and froze all 200lbs of it. For our family, it's allowed us to eat the most wonderful Salmon each week all year, and I'm going to miss it when it's gone. Paired with potatoes and herbs from the garden, along with some grilled zuchini and snap peas (garden too!!) I'm so glad to reap the benefits of summer!
And our walks after dinner down the back alley... check out the face in the tree!
Have a happy day!

SF Wrapped up

2011-07-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

I'm just wrapping up my time at the Renegade Craft Fair in San Fransisco today- I had a few more photos to share, along with my highs and lows.

Highlights: the Farmer's Market at Fort Mason Pier- such pretty salad, amazing fresh squeezed orange juice and peaches!
Lowlights: the mad rush to attempt to get the work 7 blocks to the post office in time for us to leave for our flight, (no taxi's wanting to pick us up with our boxes, me running with a hotel dolly with 2 of the largest boxes to the post office, being late for our shuttle etc. etc.) and then finding out at the airport that our flight was 2 hours delayed. Definitely the hardest part of this adventure was not being able to ship anything from or to the actual venue.

I never promised you a rose garden

2011-07-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday from me to you. I've been loving this song by Shad who spent some time in Vancouver and clearly understood about the rain gettin' a person down...

the lyrics of the original version:

I never promised you a rose garden.
Along with the sunshine,
There's gotta be a little rain sometimes.
When you take, you gotta give, so live and let live,
Or let go.
I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden.

Been raining all week, folks, so much for summer...

SF day 3 & 4

2011-07-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

Highlight: Probably the biggest highlight and reason for my whole trip down to Renegade were meeting such great people: Janine from Uppercase (who wrote a lovely post re: her Canadians that included yours truly!), Diana Fayt, Rae Dunn, and Sara Paloma. All these women were so warm and friendly- and of course, seeing their work in person was so amazing! Really, the show was so well curated- I could have bought everything in that building and didn't leave empty handed! A few trades, and some purchases were made!
Lowlights: It was tough to step away from the booth and see more of the show or meet more vendors. It also seems like times are tougher and people weren't as ready to make purchases. Since I shipped my best work out, and had a very limited amount of table space (the 8 ft table we had ordered ended up only being 6 ft), I didn't offer any 'seconds' or 'sales' as an incentive for people looking for less expensive items. I also chose the items most sold off my Etsy site, which meant if someone was in the market for a bowl, platter or large vase of mine, I didn't have any available at the show. It's so tricky to sort out what to ship, how much to ship, and a table display for ceramics when your shipping the work and relying on a friend's car and taxi's to transport it to and from the show...and then having to pack it up and ship it back home at the end of the show. Amazingly enough, I had no breakages in transport- fingers crossed I'll have none on the way home too!

SF day 2

2011-07-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

Highlights: finding the Curiosity Shoppe and Paxton Gate (they didn't allow photos but you can find a few on this blog post from 2009), shopping and having drinks and lunch with Claire and Grace, my lovely Vancouver studio buddies, checking out the view as we rode a bus up to Haight-Ashbury.

Lowlights: both Grace and I feeling unwell- me in the morning, Grace in the afternoon (the water? wacky eating schedules? catching a chill the night before?), waiting 2 hours longer then expected for our boxes of ceramics to arrive at our hotel, a really inebriated and rude man that came and sat beside us while we were having dinner...

SF day 1

2011-07-12T19:09:00.001-07:00

Highlights: having a yummy lunch at Bread & Cocoa, finding a sale at the Camper store, riding the Trolley Cable Car to Fisherman's Wharf with Grace, and eating the most amazing seafood pasta at a little Italian restaurant that we found in an alley.
Lowlights: being incredibly cold and realizing we hadn't packed for how cold and windy it was going to get, and the long cue for the trolley to head back, while being hungry and cold! brr

back from San Fransisco

2011-07-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Hello there! I just got back from SF and will need a day or two to get things organized here, but wanted to touch base and say 'thanks' for the warm reception I received while doing Renegade! I had a lot of reasons to want to make this trip happen this year and I'm so glad that it worked out for me to go. While it wasn't the best show for me sales-wise (considering my expenses to go to the show/shipping work/accommodations etc. were so high), it was an amazing show to be part of! There was so many amazing people to meet and connect with!
If you are curious about what the show was like, check out Renegade's flickr site right here. They'll be updating it during the week as well!

Renegade SF

2011-07-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

Please come by and visit if you are in the neighborhood- we are booth #100! My lovely studio neighbor (and booth sharer) and I have arrived and are taking in all the great sights this city has to offer! I'll be back with photos soon, in the meantime, hope you are having a lovely week!

red, white & blue

2011-07-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Happ

Happy Independence Day to my US neighbours! These were taken at the family farm this last weekend, where we ate local strawberries and admired the garden!
I'm now on 'summer time' which means that I'm at the studio at odd hours- late on Sundays, early on Mondays, and so on, so that Dean and I can still work while the other is looking after the boys. So I'll be popping by here at random times to say hello! Hope you all are having a great start to your week!

Happy Canada Day!

2011-07-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day! I saw this Canada Flag in lace at North Vancouver's History Fair about a month ago and, besides being blown away by it's intricate design, thought it would be perfect for today! I hope you have a great weekend- Happy Independence Weekend to those of you across the line as well! I know we Canadian's aren't often quite as outwardly patriotic, however I do think there's a lot my country has to offer and I'm proud to live here.

Colour Spray Bottle Vase

2011-06-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

Based on my 'colour spray' series (see below) I also came up with this bottle vase design in my last firing. I'm slowly working out enough of a collection to possibly introduce it more often into my regular work, although, it's extremely fussy to get the little stripes of glaze co-operating well. Basically each piece has been one of a kind for me, but hopefully I'll be able to sit down this fall and actually create the full collection for my website, including new colours or thinking about how the design could work on a teapot form or a bowl. The options are pretty wide open- a rainbow spray or colour gradient would look pretty rad too (definitely OOAK work- WAY too complicated for production!). So many ideas, so little time...

New work: Cups & short mugs

2011-06-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hello! Well it was the last 1.5 hours of school today- just enough time for me to unload the kiln with the last of what's heading down to San Fransisco for Renegade! I'm really excited to show you my new cups and mugs- a slip-cast design that I've been working on over the last couple of months. I designed this based on my wheel-thrown cups and shorter mugs, however wanted the mold to be as versatile as possible: it's a one part mold that can be a cup, or if I add a handle, can be a short mug that works a little better with the size of my teapots. I have been working on a couple of collaborations with it already, so haven't had the time to play with my existing glaze designs or get too creative with any new ones, however, I guarantee there will be more to come. Holding about 12 oz of liquid, the handle is a good 2 finger hold, and as cups, they stack pretty good.

I will have a very limited selection of these available at Renegade- they will be up on my shop soon!

Oh, and I saw this on Pinterest the other day. Had to chuckle... ceramic paint or pens, heh? Let me know how that goes for you...

**The process of creating stripes (or any glaze design of mine) on my handmade mugs, teapots and vases are tediously created by use of hand-cut 'stencils' on my bisqued ware allowing the coloured glaze to sit right next to and only slightly overlap the white glaze. Each stripe is glazed with food-safe, microwave and dishwasher safe glazes that won't ever fade or chip off. They are made with the utmost care on my part with many steps taken to get the stripes and designs looking seamless.

the Garden this week

2011-06-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

The garden is coming alive. It's rather exciting...

Traveling display

2011-06-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

I finally had a bit of a brainwave last week sorting out my display with Renegade- a couple of vintage suitcases that I can bring with me on the plane.... so I don't have to ship my whole display! Necessity is the mother of invention sometimes, and having a mother-in-law who just happens to have a 'collection' of vintage suitcases just sitting around is also extremely handy.
Happy Monday to you!

Friday fieldtrip: Point Roberts, Washington

2011-06-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to go over the boarder into Point Roberts yesterday (to do some shipping- this postal strike here in Canada is just killing me!!), and took a little extra time to sneak down to Lighthouse Park. Point Roberts is a bit of an anomaly- essentially it is a peninsula attached to Canada only and is American by virtue of it's co-ordinates being just south of the 49th Parallel. To get into the rest of the US, you must drive through Canada's boarders and then around, so it is quite isolated in a way. And quiet. I'm sure that it gets busier in the summer or on holidays, but it felt like such a sleepy and peaceful place.

I hope you have a great weekend! I'm in the final stages of getting my work together for Renegade while attempting to transform the studio to work like a little factory for the summer!

On the horizon...

2011-06-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm slowing down on the blogging front for the next week to finish up as much as I can before my boys are home from school for the summer months! I've got a few orders to fill and more work for Renegade to finish up, while also preparing for a summer of filling the largest order I've ever produced. Yes, it feels exciting and harrowing all at the same time. I know I've said this before, but this ride I'm on- making and selling my artwork and crafts, is a wild one! If someone had told me at the beginning of the year what opportunities would come my way, I probably wouldn't have believed them. Usually I have goals and vision for what I do, but somehow this year I was having a hard time imagining how I could possibly make 2011 better then 2010. I guess 'better' is a loaded word, because everyone's idea of 'better' is different. Certainly there have been highs and lows, but this year is again exceeding my expectations and I'm having to plan and make decisions that I didn't expect to make so soon on this adventure. Needless to say, I feel really thankful to be in the midst of it, a little overwhelmed, and excited at the prospect of things to come.
I just wanted to thank you all for stopping by here, to the place that I share my inspirations and thoughts. I'll be a bit random from here on for the summer, but I'm looking forward to sharing with you the highs and lows of producing a volume of work in a fairly short amount of time. My due date on this order is September 5th, so basically my summer will be spent with my nose to the grindstone. I've thought a lot about this, especially concerning our kids and Dean's schedule (he's running 2 week-long skateboarding camps this year instead of just one) and hopefully we can still make this a memorable summer despite the busy works schedules!
(sorry, for some reason my blog isn't uploading images today... )

Happy Go Skateboarding Day!

2011-06-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hello and happy go skateboarding day! Yes, summer solstice is right around the corner and with it a whole lot of skateboarding. Skateboard culture and art really have a great way of intersecting so I thought this video was a good way to celebrate, since I would pretty much break my leg just standing on a skateboard! And I love how husband and wife graffiti artists Kami and Sasu work together on the installation (notice she doesn't skateboard either:) Maybe someday Dean and I will be inspired to combine our art and skateboarding interests together- very cool!
Video found here: Tim McFarlane's blog
More info on the Hitotzuki website

Nearly summer

2011-06-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well I have 2 boys in this house that are really looking forward to summer holidays. We went to the ice cream shop across from my studio the other day to celebrate summer, which has been a long time in coming around these parts.
I hope you all have a lovely Father's Day weekend. Dean's riding his bike all weekend, so the boys and I will be visiting with the grandpas this weekend!

Drumroll

2011-06-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

Oh dear. No, that did not end well. Not for the Canucks and not for Vancouver! Shame on the rioters who made Vancouver fans look like such terrible losers. My apologies on behalf of most of the people I know who watched on the TV in shock and horror. Stupid is what stupid does...

Ok, we will most certainly move on to things a much more positive note. I, for one, am not going to waste any more time on a hockey game then I need to. Now to the matters at hand: the give-a-way!

So I spent a good long time sorting out comments, adding a few numbers for those of you who were so kind to 'like' me on facebook or become a follower and only used one comment box. And wow, it really added up (242 comments)! Thank you kindly for such a warm response! It was so nice to hear from all of you.
Once I got all the numbers sorted out, I put those into Random.org. I decided to divey the numbers up into 3 groups and pick 1 from each section this time. Just because it gives you all a little more of a chance...

Ok winners are: Anna Blair (71), Dolan Geiman (104) and Tiffany (213)!!! Congrats to all of you!
Please email me (heather@dahlhausart.com) with your contact info and a vase colour preference- I'll try to keep things fair so if you could put choice colour #1 and #2 I'll do my best! Unfortunately there is a Canada Post strike on this week that is supposed to be over by next week. Either way I'll try to send it off early next week for you!

Hope you have a great day!

We will cheer on our team

2011-06-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

So today is the day. Everyone around here is nervously biting their nail and hoping for the best! We shall see- I'm not much of a hockey fan, however I'll cheer on the home team with as much gusto as I can manage! For everyone's sake I really hope we get the cup tonight and I'm looking forward to this looong series being over... seriously!!

I'm back in the studio today loading a glaze into the kiln, with work being dropped off again at Room6 and the Vancouver Anthropologie by the end of the week! Thank you to those of you who have come by and put your name in the draw for one of 3 bottle vases... for some reason, a few people are also attempting to put their name in the draw for June 2010's cake stand give-a-way...sorry folks, that one has was given away last year. Today will be the last day to put your name in for the draw on my bottle vases- I'll pull 3 winners out of a hat tomorrow!

Inspiration in form & colour

2011-06-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

Found via here. Lots more inspiration to go with it too!

Weekend sketching

2011-06-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

We had a wedding to attend this last weekend and I like to make cards to go along with my hand-made gift. So I started with a watercolour on some cardstock, inspired by these watercolours that I had painted last year. And then I just kept making a few more, playing with different colours and shapes. Sometimes it's nice to work on something small, working through a simple concept to see where it goes. Plus it's nice to have a few cards ready to go when the occasion arises.

From my phone Friday & thoughts on 'handmade'

2011-06-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

The family farm

What a great truck

Stirfry with tofu dinner served in one of my low bowls

I love it when the poppies start coming out:)

Hello and thank you all for the warm response on my give-a-way so far! So great to hear all your thoughts on my vases, along with some of your responses to what makes the perfect vase etc. I really do value your comments and must add a couple of my own- first off that I don't throw out work unless it is completely un-useable. Most of it comes home with me and fills my own shelves- I usually can't bear to part with my hard-work that easily. That said, over the course of all my years making ceramics, I'm sure my 'shard pile' is as big as the next ceramic artist's- unfortunately it takes a whole lot of pots that have mistakes on them before you get the good ones out. However, I do believe in 1000 years, my shards will be some of the prettier ones that anthropologists will dig up. That is one of the amazing things about ceramics, I feel. Pottery and fired clay are some of the oldest forms of art that have been dug up and discovered.

Also, some thoughts about perfect/imperfections etc. I do love the 'hand of the artist', ie the hand-made look being present in work, whether it be obvious or not. A lot of my work has 'imperfections' that I see as unintended accidents that happened along the way. Some of it is part of the way the work is made and as that, I'm quite comfortable having these 'imperfections' be part of the integrity of the work. Some things- such as the small pinholes or the glaze looking mottled, are things that I want to avoid. And while some things are super small and barely noticeable, I feel as though I want to send my best work out there, put my best foot forward, and not my almost best. Since a lot of these vases are heading to retail places or being sold online, I think people have come to expect a certain level of perfection when purchasing an item in those places as opposed from me in my studio.

A couple of years ago I overheard a comment about my work that made me laugh, be kind of angry, and at the same time, recognize something in my work that I was missing out on. It happened during an open studio event that happens each November- someone was coming out of my studio while I was heading towards the door and said "I think 'so-and-so' would really like that work, except perhaps it looks a little too handmade." Sometimes I feel like my work really straddles the line between looking handmade and manufactured. Partly because of my process of cutting out shapes that can be repeated it can be hard for some to know the difference between them being all glazed or having decals as the decoration. A lot of my early inspiration came not only from abstract paintings I had done, but also from mid-century scandinavian ceramics- which was manufactured. And since I'm slip-casting some of my work now, it looks even less hand-made then my wheel-thrown work. All that said, the work sits somewhere in the middle for people- sort of handmade, sort of design-based, and for now I'm ok with that. Some day perhaps I'll embrace one over the other, but for now I'm making what feels right for me and I'm so glad that people are loving it!