Blog | Mena Dragonfly

My Uncle Bill

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Inspiration

Uncle Bill gave me the nickname “Mud” when I was a little girl and I often wonder if he set the course of my life by doing that. He and I have always had a special bond, more like a father than an uncle, I wish everyone I know could know Uncle Bill.

It is with such a tremendous sadness that I type this next line: Uncle Bill passed away two weeks ago today. I feel like there must be something broken inside me because I still can’t believe he’s gone. I flew across this gigantic country, leaving Vancouver at 9:30 am on a Saturday and finally arriving in Marystown, Newfoundland by 1:30 in the afternoon on Sunday. It feels like it takes forever to get from one end of this country to another, especially when you just want to be there now.

I did at a reading at the funeral and after I said the first line I choked up, frozen in front of the congregation, reality suddenly hit me, “I’m speaking at Uncle Bill’s funeral.” The priest rushed over to me, put his arm around my shoulders and held my hand while I got through the rest of the reading. After wards I thanked him for his support, he told me he had just met Joan and Bill in April but something about them moved him.

And that is one of the nicest and most accurate things he could have said. Aunt Joan & Uncle Bill have this magical way about them that just makes you feel so welcome in their lives. They have a knack for making you feel so special & loved.

The world, life, everything just feels so different now, almost like this has all been a dream, or a terrible mistake but everything has changed anyway. Once again I am feeling so very far away from my family so I’m having a hard time. I got back to Vancouver on Monday and I’m trying to get back into the groove of things but it’s a bit of a struggle. I feel like I may never stop crying. (Though I’m sure Uncle Bill would think it would be “some foolish” for me to carry on like that.)

At some point I might share more about Uncle Bill but everything just feels so surreal and raw right now. Things will probably continue to be a little quiet around here while I catch up on making pottery and try to come to terms with having lost someone who meant so very much to me & my family.

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Photos by Tanya

Monday, July 25th, 2011

My very good friend, Tanya King recently photographed my new pottery and I love how the images turned out. Tanya’s style suits my pottery so well and I am oh so lucky to count her as a friend. The Vancouver One Of A Kind folks also liked Tanya’s pictures and are using the one of my Dots! espresso cups on their home page! Check out Tanya’s work, she’s so talented:

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ILoveVancouver – Let’s Eat!

Friday, July 15th, 2011

Inspiration

My most favourite restaurant in Vancouver, Tapastree closed down last year and re-opened into something completely different and awful. I have missed that place so much and am very disappointed it no longer exists but that just leaves room for new favourites, here are some of the best places to eat around here:

The roof top patio at Joe Fortes
Truthfully the roof top patio is the only reason I’d go to Joe Fortes, my experiences in the dining room have been lack luster but the patio is fabulous, it’s where they keep their herb garden. I recommend going there on a sunny day for drinks and snacks.

Ebisu
There are lots of Japanese restaurants in Vancouver but Ebisu has become my favourite. We came about it by chance one day, Mark, Corrine and I were standing on a street corner looking for a sushi place, we asked random strangers as they walked by and one guy actually responded he recommended Ebisu which was right across the street. We’ve been hooked ever since, dine in the restaurant or order delivery, either way the sushi is fresh and delicious.

Calabash
I love the tagline for this place: Caribbean Cuisine, Reggaecentric Environment. Calabash is a newish restaurant in our neighbourhood and we’ve now been there about half a dozen times. The food is delicious. I recommend the Coconut Balls, the Fish Fry and the Jerk Fish of the day. They also have live music most nights of the week.

On a side note, here’s something I find weird about Vancouver: dark rum is kind of hard to find at bars and restaurants, I know this because I am a Dark Rum Drinker (my Newfie family is so proud) and usually when I order a rum & coke they mix it with white rum which is just not the same. Calabash to the rescue – they have an entire Rum Menu!

Deacon’s Corner
This is a diner kiddie corner from my building. Not only is the location convenient for me but they have an all day breakfast menu. I almost always have either the pancakes or the french toast with the fresh fruit compote. I’ve also had the baked mac & cheese and the fish & chips & I’ve never been disappointed.

Cobre
This is the restaurant that has replaced Tapastree as mine and Mark’s favourite place to eat out. We’ve been there to celebrate Birthdays, Anniversaries, Wednesdays… and whenever any out of town friends come to visit this is our restaurant of choice. I’ve had every vegetarian and fish dish on the menu and I can recommend them all. May I also recommend you end your meal with the Dolce de Leche. Oh – and they make the best Mojitos I’ve had in this city.

So those are my favourite places to eat in the city – what are your favourites?

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To Vancouver, with love

Friday, June 17th, 2011

Inspiration

On Wednesday we watched the Big Game at home with friends, we drank beer, we ate chips, we talked, we cheered, we commiserated. Once the game was over we kept the TV on and watched the riot unfold.

We went up to the roof and saw not one but two big plumes of black smoke rising from the city, as the sun was setting on one of the most beautiful, sunny days we’ve had (it’s been a cool, wet Spring).

As we watched the smoke rise we saw flashes reflected on the glass of the buildings then heard loud bangs. We all looked at each other in confusion, “What the hell is going on over there?” We went back downstairs and heard something about tear gas.

Oh it was tear gas, not gun shots.

We all gathered our dogs and went for a walk. We headed to the park, people were lined up on the bridge watching four helicopters and one small plane circling the smoke in the city. As we were about to enter the park a bunch of guys started wrestling with each other. That kind of stuff makes the dogs antsy so we turned back and decided the park would be better in the morning.

Friends went home, we watched the news. Bridges were closed, streets were blocked, the hospital was overwhelmed, cars were on fire, two people were stabbed, a man fell off the viaduct, windows were smashed, stores were looted and some of the people in the middle of all of it seemed to be having a good time.

Was this Vancouver? Was this our city? Who acts this way? Who finds joy and celebration in destruction and violence?

I had a hard time sleeping.

The next day it all felt a little surreal. Did that actually happen? Oh, no one was killed, phew.

My feelings were confused and when that happens I usually turn to music. I remembered a lyric from a Bruce Cockburn song, “You’ve got to kick at the darkness ‘til it bleeds daylight.”

So this is me, kicking at the darkness.

I love Vancouver. I love it. I love it so much that I can’t fit all my love into one post, so this is a series I’m starting here about this city, the city I chose to call my home 12 years ago, the city I fell in love in, the city that cracked open my creative spirit, the city that blesses me with the most beautiful views every morning when I open the blinds:

When the hockey game was finishing up I kept thinking about one of my most favourite things in my neighbourhood – a work of art by Martin Creed:

The first time I saw this I was riding on the back of our tandem bike across the Georgia viaduct (yes, we are that couple), we were on our way home from the fireworks in the West End. I like riding on the back of the tandem, it allows me to sight see. I looked to my left and saw the message in neon lights, in the heart of my ‘hood. And ever since then I’ve felt a sense of comfort, just knowing that it’s there.

“This public gesture coming from the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (known as the poorest postal code in Canada) celebrates optimism amidst the pervasive – and often exaggerated – negativity found within many of the messages we routinely encounter, offering hope for the future.”
- image and quote from the Rennie Collection website.

Vancouver, I love you.

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New line preview

Monday, June 13th, 2011

I’m so excited to share with you pictures of my new pots. Below you will see a new Sake set in black, a sugar dish and creamer set in blue and a micro-mini vase in black.

I’m really happy with how the glazes and new shapes are working together, now I just need to come up with a name for this new line…

In the meantime, I’d love to know – what do you think of these new pieces?

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Birthday Fun!

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

In my studio

It’s my birthday this week! I want to celebrate by giving you a 15% discount on my pottery.

You can use your discount in two ways:

1) Online
Enter the discount code HappyBDAY in either my Etsy shop (US$) or my BigCartel shop (CDN$) to apply the discount to your purchase.

Don’t forget: if you’re in Vancouver let me know right away as I may be able to reduce or refund your shipping costs.

2) At the market
I’ll be at the Robson Square Artisan Market from 10:00 to 3:00 on Saturday, June 11. The market is under the dome at Robson Square, admission is free and the concession stand will be open. Stop by the Market on Saturday, wish me a Happy Birthday and get 15% off your purchase.

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Your Wish Is My Command, kind of

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

When I first started talking about selling my pottery as a business some people warned me about custom orders. Most suggested I don’t do it.

However, I’ve learned that it’s often best for me to follow my instincts. I felt optimistic and positive about taking a custom order so when the request came up I said, “Yes!” Really though, custom pieces weren’t that scary of a concept to me, I figured that if didn’t work out, I’d just stop doing it. I took my first custom order right after the Vancouver One Of A Kind Show and so far I’ve been having a great time.

What has helped keep my experience on a positive note is that I sort out the details right from the first conversation, the Big Ones first:

• The glaze colours you see on my pottery are the glazes I use. I may or may not be able to veer too far away from this palette.
• I can usually have something made from beginning to end in 4 weeks, give or take, depending on the design, glazing and number of pieces.
• I promise to amaze you with my talent.

Custom orders have made me push my boundaries and they’ve opened my mind to new designs. It’s been exciting not just for me but also for the clients. We work together and they get to be part of the design process. It’s fun seeing an idea come to life for both of us.

For one person I glazed a Dragonfly Mug white instead of my usual clear. I loved how it turned out (as did she) and I started making more. They’ve been a big hit at the shows.

One of my very first customers asked me if I could make plates. I was truthful, I hadn’t made any before but I would do my best. I got to work and I love how they are turning out, so much so that I have it on my list to make a set for myself. Best of all, he likes them too!

I’ve recently been working on a completely new design that I’m really happy with. It came about from someone asking me to do something “more” with a glaze. I was like, “Umm… ok.” I got an idea, ran with it and I can’t wait for my next firing. I’ll post pictures here first!

I have a whole new line of pots forming in part because I decided to say, “Yes!” to custom orders. My design skills, my pottery skills, my business – myself – are evolving, and it’s exhilarating.

Have you been thinking you might like some custom Mena Dragonfly pottery? I’d love to hear all about it.

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Do you know where your teapots are?

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

I have been making dragonfly stuff for years. One of the first teapots I made has a dragonfly for the knob on the teapot lid. I still have that teapot it’s a light blueish-green. After I made that one (about a decade ago) I made a bunch of teapots and mugs with dragonflies on them and almost all of them were glazed oribe green – a dark green and one of my most favourite glazes from the West End Community Centre.

I gave all those teapots and mugs away. The only one I have is the first one. I had always meant to make myself an oribe green dragonfly teapot but I left that studio and that glaze before I made it. In fact, almost everything I made at the WECC I gave away. Sometimes I’m surprised at how little pottery I have from those days, but then I go to my Mom’s house, open her cupboards and see a collection of my very early works: the wonky bowls, the leaning mugs with the twisted handles, the out-of-proportion handled mugs, the casserole dish with the slightly peeling handles…

When I started making pottery on a regular basis again my main goal was to make a teapot, and that was what I did. When I was figuring out my initial three lines for the business I knew there was going to be a Dragonfly line. There will always be a Dragonfly line. If I make pottery without dragonflies involved somehow (either directly or on the periphery) then there would be something missing from what I’m doing.

So I started really practicing my teapots. I made a whole lot of them. I was making so many teapots that I wrote ab out my step by step process – I think I had teapots on the brain. Throughout my teapot practice I was challenged again and again. I have made a lot of dud teapots, either the glaze ran into the spout opening, or fused the lid to the pot, or the spout dribbled horribly, in Newfoundland they call this a “stingey teapot,” and I don’t sell, give away or use stingey teapots. Instead I collect them on top of my shelves in the studio, a reminder of how far I’ve come in a short time.

My teapots now are a lot better. And believe me, these teapots have to meet a very high standard – mine. But I think I got teapotted-out, so I decided to stop making them for a bit. I don’t mind if Dragonfly Teapots are rare, it kind of feels like they should be.

However I did have one Dragonfly Teapot on hand and I do believe it is THE BEST teapot I have ever made. I contemplated selling it and posted it online with this comment:

I love this teapot. It will be hard to part with. It should really go to a good home.

The day after it went up online I was visiting with one of my VIP clients, I was dropping off some new pottery for him when we started talking about teapots. During that conversation I realized that I actually know where all of the Dragonfly Teapots are – and not just the ones I’ve given to family and friends; I have sold a few but the funny thing is, I know all of the people who bought them. I was telling Mr. VIP about this, he loved the story and decided to by my best Dragonfly Teapot, so now I know where that one is too.

I know that as the business grows, as I get back into making more Dragonfly Teapots, it’s highly likely that a stranger will buy one and I may never know where it goes or what happens to it. But for now I’m going to relish this time, when I know where all of my Dragonfly Teapots are.

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Shows!

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

If you’ve read this blog before then you know that I love, Love, LOVE talking with people about my pottery. I also love craft shows and art markets so I’m pretty excited about the next few weeks; between March 26 and May 29 I have FIVE shows! FIVE!

I’m looking forward to meeting a whole bunch of new people.

Part of the reason why I took the plunge into turning my hobby into my livelihood is that I just really, really want you all to have a piece of my pottery. I love sharing my pots with people. At the One Of A Kind Show last December I gave away the very first set of Dots! Mini Vases and that was a lot of fun so at each show this Spring I’ll be having a draw for more pottery. There will be a different giveaway at each show.

(If you can’t make it to a Show, don’t fret – you can get a free gift too – I’m still giving away a little surprise with the next few orders in my online shops.)

Here are all the Show details:

Portobello West

This year Portobello West is at a brand new location – the Creekside Community Centre in Olympic Village. I’ll be there for the March, April and May shows:
Saturday, March 26 & Sunday, March 27 – 11:00am to 5:00pm each day
Sunday, April 24 – 11:00am to 5:00pm
Sunday, May 29 – 11:00am to 5:00pm
Admission is $2, unless you snag a Portobello West Membership which is $15 for an entire year of Portobello Shows.

Make It!

Make It! is a cross between a craft show and a party with local DJs spinning tunes while you shop.
At the Croatian Cultural Centre
Friday, April 15 – 4:00pm to 9:00pm
Saturday, April 16 – 11:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday, April 17 – 11:00am to 5:00pm
Admission is $5 for the entire weekend or can click here to get $2 off.

Got Craft?

Got Craft? is a modern twist on the conventional craft fair. Plus the first 45 people through the door get a swag bag, some of which will include a special little somethin’ from yours truly.
At the Royal Canadian Legion, on the 2nd floor (sorry, there is no wheelchair access)
Sunday, May 8 – 10:00am to 5:00pm
Admission is $3.

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New Colours!

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

I have three new colours in the Dots! line and I’m so excited to share them with you. To celebrate I’m giving stuff away!

The next 5 shoppers will get a little something extra in their package!

That’s right, if you are amongst the next 5 people to buy something from one of my online shops you’ll get an extra little gift along with your order. The gift is a special, limited edition piece not available in the shops.

Plus! Each customer will receive a discount code for a future purchase.

Shop at Etsy (prices in US dollars).

Shop at BigCartel (prices in Canadian dollars).