The husband-and-wife duo behind Salty Sea Dog Designs has been working long hours in their home pottery studio to bring unique animal-themed creations to life.
Sarah and Blair Dawes of Airdrie work together to create functional sculpted pieces of pottery and sell them on their website. They say coffee mugs are their best-selling product.
“From start to finish, every creation that comes from our studio takes about a month to make,” says Sarah. “Everything is slightly one of a kind because we do not use moulds of any kind. It’s all animal-themed with bright colours, so it’s really joyful, and our goal is to create smiles through everyday moments.”
The couple named their pottery business after the dog that brought them together. They first became friends after meeting at their first-ever ceramics class at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary (now Alberta University of the Arts) in 2001. Shortly after that, Blair adopted a dog named Indy, and Sarah fell in love with the dog. Through spending more time together, with Indy by their side, the two potters found a deeper connection and eventually got married.
Now, more than 20 years later, they are happily running a successful pottery business out of their home in Airdrie.
“We both took that first class and were hooked on the medium,” says Sarah.
Adds Blair: “I was actually going to go into painting for graphic design, but one ceramic class just grabbed me.”
Sarah starts each creation with the wheel throwing and, once the pottery stiffens up, Blair takes over and hand sculpts every single detail. Sarah then hand paints each piece which then undergoes two firings to create a glossy coat that makes the product functional and durable.
The couple creates pieces featuring approximately 18 animal-themed designs that are divided into five categories: underwater, forest, farm, safari and mythical friends. Some of the mugs they make regularly feature animals such as bears, dolphins, seals, otters, frogs, unicorns, highland cows, sheep and sloths.
They also create limited-edition mugs regularly, including festive ones for holidays like Halloween and Christmas. They recently created a monster mug collection as part of an adopt-a-monster initiative through their website, which was very successful.
Blair says he gets most of his inspiration from unique animals that aren’t as popular as other animals.
“I love animals that don’t get all the love,” he says. “I just love the uniqueness of all the different creatures, so that’s kind of what inspires me to make some mugs or different things with those creatures.”
Sarah and Blair also make other kitchen-inspired creations, including butter dishes, bowls, plates, vases and planters. The pair has been sculpting together since 2010 and officially launched their business in 2016. They each have Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in ceramics.
The couple have been able to make pottery together full time for eight years. They moved to Airdrie three years ago to build their home studio.
“Since becoming part of this community, we have been so welcomed and so encouraged. It’s been amazing to be able to grow an unusual business in a community that’s so kind,” says Sarah.
Adds Blair: “I always say it’s one of the best things we ever did, was to come out here. We love it here.”
For more information, visit saltyseadogdesigns.com. To stay up to date with limited-edition releases, follow the business on Facebook and Instagram.
