Jeweller Erin Dolman was born and raised in Vancouver, but eventually heard the call of the wild, pulled up her city roots and now resides in a beautiful cabin in the woods of Roberts Creek, BC. All of Erin’s work is designed and created by the artist in her home based studio under the watchful eye of her Pug-Burl. “I enjoy working in a small studio, I love my craft and by personally working on each piece I maintain a level of quality and originality that is very important to me.�? When not hard at work in the studio Erin is an avid gardener (much inspiration comes with weed pulling), amateur naturalist and bird watcher. Each summer she eagerly awaits the Sunshine Coast’s Sleepy Hollow Hotrod Run, which attracts over 300 of the most beautiful cars from the West Coast up for a weekend of drool inducing low riders and flame jobs. “I find beauty and inspiration in so many aspects of my life; nice old cars, a vintage botany textbook, birds and bones and butterfly wings, all of these things influence my work.�?
Erin has been practicing her craft for 14 years and has shown in numerous exhibitions both in Canada and the US. In 2001 she won the Rosen Groups Niche award for silver jewellery and in 2004 was the recipient of a VADA grant, a BC Arts Council Grant and the Circle Craft Scholarship. This funding enabled her to attend a 3-week jewellery intensive at the prestigious Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Deer Isle, Maine. In 2005 she won one of the inaugural BC Achievement Awards for applied arts and also had one of her pieces chosen for exhibition in the Cheongju International Craft Biennial in South Korea. In 2006 Erin placed 1st in Lapidary Journal's Jewellery Arts Awards in the brooch category and she was one of 22 Canadians to be represented at the Philladelphia Art Museum Craft Show in November of 2007.
“I feel very fortunate in that I love what I do. I love that jewellery has the ability to speak for the wearer, that and intriguing pendant or brooch can suddenly spark conversation with a complete stranger. I hope to be sparking for a long time.�?