Meet Renee from The Little White Box. I am a major fan of her stunning work and am building up a collection as we speak. I know you will love her work as you will love hearing about where it all began and some insights into Renee and her process!
What is your craft?
Ceramics and I’m a Ceramist who makes tableware from materials by the process of pottery. I’m not a ‘potter’ as they are craftspeople who shape clay on a wheel and then fire it. My pieces are made from moulds using a slip casting process so multiple can be made keeping the shape consistent. Once they come out of the mould, the ‘greenware’ is then fired to turn it into a porous bisque that is painted using a stamping process to ensure the uniformity of each design. They are then dipped into glaze and fired for a final time at 1160 degrees which ensure they become water tight vessels ready to use.
How did you get started creating?
I studied a bachelor of creative industries/visual arts and have been a secondary art and photography teacher for the past 10 years. When my little boy arrived I thought it was time to get back to being creative and threw caution to the wind and started The Little White Box last December so we are nearly one year old!
Where did your original inspiration come from?
I was 5 and drew a picture of 'Bambi' from a Walt Disney book and took it to show my Nana. I will never forget she said that I was an artist and I got that from my great grandmother. She showed me three oil paintings of stags hanging on her wall and from that day on I knew I was going to be creative. I think living in the UK for 10 years I was truly inspired by the the Victorian Potters of Stoke-on-Trent. I supposed I got caught up in this romantic notion of hand made craftsmanship, of skills that were learnt in yesteryear and set about crafting those skills myself.
What are you reading at the moment?
At the moment it would be my Yates Garden Guide for New Zealand was given to me as a birthday present. I’m new to gardening and it is just brilliant.
And what is your favourite food?
My mum’s homemade Monte Carlos - they are to die for a with a perfectly brewed cup of tea I’m in heaven (obviously drunk out of one of my country mugs)!!!!
Where do you get your online inspiration from?
Too hard to just mention a few. I had a look at my bookmarks and I have a folder called NZ Craft and a separate one called Inspiration. Between the two I have over 150 bookmarks. It goes without saying the internet is amazing and is an open source for inspiration (but then the library is too and there is nothing like thumbing through books and magazines!!)
Where did you come up with your business name?
The Little White Box is all about the notion of giving a gift, something unique and one-of-a-kind. Our logo is an optical illusion - you either see a hexagon or you see a box. That parallels the whole idea when you receive a gift and those first few seconds you open it - it’s what ever you want it to be. I also like the idea that a little white box is a blank canvas to do what ever you want. I hand paint each item so it means no two pieces are exactly the same, creating little artworks in themselves.
My website and also in my FELT store
To celebrate this Meet the Seller Interview, The Little White Box have created a special offer for shoppers at the Devonport Craft Market.
For the October 16th market The Little White box will be offering 20% of their website prices for that one day and if you spend over $30 you will receive a free Red Heart Ceramic Ornament valued at $6.
Thanks Renee for your generous offer.
