RENEE BOYD
Ceramic Artist

HOW WERE YOU FIRST INTRODUCED TO THIS TYPE OF WORK AND WHAT DID YOU ENJOY ABOUT YOUR EARLY EXPLORATION OF IT? 

My early exploration of ceramics was when I was at high school. I met a really great friend Acushla and her dad John Green was a real life potter living in the bush at Anawhata Beach, (one of the far West Coast beaches). We would spend days driving out there in our old beat up cars to just hang out at their place, surrounded by all of his pottery and drink tea with friends. It was there I was given the chance to have a go myself and thats when I started to become hooked on clay. I thenstudied craft design at Unitec and after that I was lucky enough to be offered a job with a commercial ceramic factory in Parnell,  which was great. For the next 10 years I moved around various commercial production ceramic studio’s learning everything I could. From making and casting the clay to glazing the clay – from start to finish. I then completed more studies part time through Otago Polytechnic and got taught by many various and famous NZ ceramic legends while slowly starting my own business.

HOW HAS YOUR WORKED CHANGED AND DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS? WHAT FACTORS DO YOU THINK AFFECTED THIS?

My work Is constantly evolving from where I first started. There is so much to learn with pottery, I see myself doing this forever. I just keep trying to refine and refine my work. I realised straight away that it appealed not only to my fascination with materials and process, but also to my sense of independence as a designer. It’s the only medium I have worked with that I can use to make a product by doing each step in the process myself – from design to finish. It’s very addicted to work with , The endless possibilities clay offers to explore notions of surface, scale and volume are what appeals to my aesthetic.

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHERE YOU WORK FROM? WHAT DO YOU FIND SPECIAL ABOUT LIVING OUT WEST?

I've always worked from my own home studio . It works really well with ceramics because there are so many processes involved as each ceramic piece is handmade by me. At home I'm able to pop in and out of the studio easily to work on pieces. And as I have a little four year old boy, I'm able to juggle getting work done while he rides and plays around me. Our street is a great street out west where all the kids play together and move from house to house playing. We have a beautiful reserve over the fence full of Kauris and natives, so lots of space to explore out there too when they are older. 

WHAT CAN VISITORS EXPECT TO SEE WHEN THEY POP BY YOUR STUDIO DURING OSW? 

I just plan to do my normal work day around the Open Studios and also plan to make some slab plant pots.

NAME YOUR TOP 5 SECRET SPOTS YOU LIKE TO VISIT IN THE WAITAKERE RANGES?

There are great local cafe's with good coffee out west now. These are just a few I go to and they all have good coffee and food. Vevo has good strong coffee and makes delicious food. It's in the Titirangi township out the back.
If you want a quick pick up and go just up the road from my house is the Mt Atkinson Coffee Cart in the mornings. They are awesome and I love their beautiful cart. They also are involved with the Tannery Cafe in New Lynn where of course the Kohu Road Ice cream is made which my boy Jed is a huge fan of.

I also visit and sell through the shop at Te Uru Gallery, which has just recently been built and a great place to check out. It's next to Deco the newest cafe on the block in Titirangi. This has really beautiful tiles on the floor in the bar area which look so cool, go and check them out if you are up in the village.

When we have a special occasion or a girls night out we go up to The Refreshment Room on Scenic Drive. Just yum is all I can say about this place. 

And a big shout out to Nolas's orchard in Oratia . I have been going there for years for my fruit and veges ... lovely people and locally owned and they still grow food for the shop in their own orchard out back. 

You can see more of Renee's work on her website
www.reneeboyd.co.nz

Photography by Sarah Allen