ABOUT H.A. & CO
H.A. & CO is a modern mercantile with an eclectic west coast artisan feel, light infused with bursts of color, and bohemian vibes. Located on Vashon highway in the neighborhood of Burton, the store features an eclectic mix of art, jewelry and home goods with ceramics and art made by Heidi Anderson.
You will find a curated collection of apparel, apothecary and home goods from artisans and designers we admire, offering goods that focus on beautifully crafted, hand made products, stocked with textiles, baskets, jewelry, clothes, candles, wood works and art.
your local gathering space
We like to think of ourselves as a gathering space-- not just a store. First Friday events are often part of the mix, with food made to order by Old Chaser Farm and seasonal cocktails on offer. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by and say hi.
about heidi anderson
Heidi is an artist from Seattle, Washington, who currently lives on Vashon Island, WA. She attended the San Francisco Art Institute where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2002. She has been a ceramicist since 2012.
I work in ceramics making hand built pots, sculptures, and vases using a technique called Nerikomi using different color clays to inlay patterns designs and narratives with the clay itself.
I also make figures called Protectors which are wheel thrown and then formed and sculpted with added embellishments individually cut from clay. I use the color of the clay as the main decorative element in my work; colors that lend themselves to the California landscapes and desert scapes that I deeply love. I use a variety of earth-toned clays; from deep browns and reds to light speckled off-whites.
My work is constantly evolving and draws upon many influences; from fine art to folk art and the everyday handmade. I’ve come to see my figurative work in sculpture as modern day folk art.
There is no single definition of what folk art is, but the definition that resonates with me most is as defined by the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico: Folk art is “of, by, and for the people; all people, inclusive of class, status, culture, community, ethnicity, gender, and religion.” I deeply identify with this definition, and believe that it speaks to the Protector people that I make.
I like to think of my Protector people as spirit beings; that serve as an emblem of the importance of nature and our relationship to it, and the sense of connection and appreciation that I derive from being in nature. I see them uniting the animal and the spiritual, as well as the earthly with the mystical.
My love of nature translates into a vocabulary of personally relevant, but universally recognizable symbols that embellish my figures: leaves, flowers, birds, rainbows, mountains, water symbols, triangles, dots and abstract lines.
The braids I that have become a signature on many of my protectors create both a pleasing graphic pattern, as well as being reminiscent of the indigenous Peruvian women and nature loving bohemians. I believe in drawing from the ancient and universal well of symbols and spirituality to bring these expressions into our daily life.