In the late 1920s the family moved to Canada and lived in Edmonton, where she met Kjeld Deichmann, a Danish immigrant.

[3] The Deichmanns spent a year in Europe, where Kjeld apprenticed as a potter with Axel Brüel, helping him to build a kiln, and Erica studied weaving.

On their return to New Brunswick they set up a pottery studio at their home, which they called Dykelands because of the presence of several small dykes on their property.

[4] The Deichmanns were largely self-taught and perfected their production methods through constant experimentation regarding kiln design, clay composition, and glazes.

[6] She also decorated the pottery, usually painting on the raw clay before the work was fired in the kiln, and hand-modelled fanciful miniature animal forms which she called "goofi".