Peaks and Prairies Artist with Dalia Reboh

Q: Tell us about yourself!

A: My name is Dalia Reboh, and you can find me in one of two places. Flying down a mountain attached to a snowboard, or in my studio working on my jewellery line. I was born and raised in the beautiful Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Being surrounded by the rugged Rocky Mountains as well as the golden glow of the prairies, shaped my entire way of life. Alberta is an extraordinary place where you are friends and neighbors with a myriad of different types of people, from hunters to indigenous people, outdoor enthusiast to city slickers, we are all friends here. 

Both my parents immigrated here, making me first-generation Canadian. This also made me have a great appreciation for the spectacular outdoors and freedom that I learned from my parents many don’t have. They worked extremely hard their entire life starting a jewellery store from nothing which instilled a work ethic I owe to them. Their work ethic didn’t just show up in business; my dad, in particular, who never saw snow in his entire life until moving to Canada at 22, was the one who taught to be the daredevil on the ski hill I am today. I didn’t stick with skiing, I transitioned to snowboarding at age 10, but the love for the mountains is all the same to me however you choose to enjoy it! 

Most of all is my passion for art! Since before I could write, I was painting or drawing. My favourite pastime was ruining my parent’s beautiful furniture with paint, that’s when they realized it was time to put me in art classes instead. 

Q: What inspired you to create Peaks & Prairies

A: Honestly, it hit me like a lightning bolt! I was out alone on a Wednesday snowboarding at Lake Louise, let me re-phrase that, I was out on the perfect day snowboarding! It was an incredible powder day; it had just snowed 20cm the night before, and the sun was shining with the cherry on top of it being a weekday, so it was completely dead. Just me and the perfect day! As I am leaving the hill that day, I saw the most stunning group of longhorn rams on the side of the road. I was so amazed by how beautiful their horns were, and I immediately thought about making it into a piece of jewellery. That was all I could think about during the two-hour drive home. When I finally got home, I sketched at least ten different designs in only 3 or 4 hours, and that’s when I knew I had to start a jewellery line. 

Q: What is your process for coming up with and bringing new designs to life?

A: First, it starts with some inspired thought or idea. Whether it is while I’m out hiking, snowboarding, or just out for a walk with my dog. If I see something in nature that I am impressed by, I will take a photo of it or jot it down in my notes. Then I put on my thinking cap and see how I could turn it into a piece of jewellery people would want to wear. Then the drawing process begins with lots of trial and error. My specialty is drawing black and grey realism; that is why you will notice the shading in my pieces resemble all the original sketches almost perfectly. After I have finalized the design, I work with another incredibly talented local artist named Gary McMillan, who hand carves a wax mold from scratch perfectly matched to my design. After that, we cast that wax in silver, and I will clean, detail, and add my final touch of antiquing to the piece to get the best result.

Q: What does being in the outdoors mean to you?

A: To say a lot is an understatement. I am sure I share the same spiritual experience so many others do while being outdoors in nature. It is almost indescribable. It is where I can clear my head, lift my spirits, and feel incredibly humbled all at the same time. I noticeably see a difference in my attitude, stress levels, and patience if I have been stuck inside too long. It is my lifeline to creating a building upon a happy, healthy, and creative self. 

Q: What are your goals with Peaks & Prairies?

A: My goals with Peaks & Prairies is to show you can wear jewellery that is directly inspired by nature but in a more fashion-forward and contemporary way. I want to showcase nature in jewellery in a way people have ever seen before. I will wear my antler necklace with a little black dress and leather boots or jeans and a plaid shirt. That is what I want is for people to integrate into their style choices. 

Q: Is there anything you need help with?

A: Exposure for sure. My line is currently in a local mountain town and several stores in Calgary, and doing well. Any opportunity to expand my line into more nature-centric cities is warmly welcomed. That is why I am so grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate with such a great platform like Hunting Life. 

I also need help with expressing to all different groups of people that is it okay for anyone to wear p&p! Hunter, vegetarian, old or young. All walks of life can enjoy p&p and can mean different things to different people, such as nature does.

Please feel free to keep up with my adventures by finding Peaks and Prairies on Instagram or visiting my website www.peaksandprairies.com

Dalia Reboh