Bridechilla™ Interview with Renée Calder Design

Our guess is that you’ve seen the magnificent chalk masterpieces, or “chalk photo booths” as our friend, Renée Calder of Renée Calder Design & Creatives names them. We instantly fell in love with these hand-lettered beauties and only wanted to explore more in to one of the chill creators behind this beautiful art. Many couples have been using these gigantic chalk drawn photo booths at their wedding, as they create an extra-ordinary backdrop for photos while sharing a beautiful message. Not only does Renee specialize in these pieces, but she also carries talent in wedding stationary and other types of custom typography. Find out more about her creative process and inspiration below.

Describe your artistic style.
I absolutely LOVE hand lettered typography, so most of my work is hand made. I’m probably most commonly seen with either chalk or an ink pen in hand, I get so much enjoyment out of working with these basics! And that’s what’s so great about my job – being titled a graphic designer doesn’t necessarily mean I am restricted to only crafting pieces on the computer. I certainly like working with both mediums, but it’s the really beautiful techniques from the past that I am most passionate about, and is is not how we designers got here in the first place? By putting pen to paper? Why not continue to embrace these styles!

We fell in love with the gigantic chalkboard piece you did for a wedding. How long did it take you to create this beautiful chalk work?
My large chalk board photo booth was a piece I spent about 30 odd hours working on, created using a combination of cheap regular chalk, and chalk pastels. I managed to complete only with good coffee and good tunes!

What inspires you?
My inspiration definitely comes from personal experiences. I have kept hand written journals for many years, and I find looking back upon them is always such a great place to start. I carry one with me everywhere, and I record anything and everything that comes to mind. I also find a great deal of creative thought comes from getting out and about with my camera. You can get so much out of one pure moment.

What is your favorite part about weddings?

Gosh, my favourite part about weddings! That’s so hard as I love everything about them. Its such a creative process, and so many talented designers are involved in this ‘one day’. It’s awesome to see all of them working together to make something so completely unique and beautiful. Most importantly though, I think its seeing two people who are so incredibly happy to be together, that is what makes it all
worth while.

If you were a Bridechilla-to-be, what would be your must-have Bridechilla™ wear?
If I was a bridechilla-to-be, I would most definietly be the proud owner of ‘The Ryan’. You can never have too many comfy hoodies!

What do you do to chill when there seems to be just too much going on?
When I’m a little bit stressed, (and I must admit I often am) I find writing lists really helpful. I like to leave a notebook beside my bed, so I can record all my thoughts before sleep. It shuts the mind down quite effectively, and then when I wake up I have an awesome list of creativeness to get on with for the day. My other method for ‘chilling’ is exercising, I love getting outside for a run or heading to the gym. Works a charm every time.

Do you have any more chalk inspired art pieces coming out soon?
Yes! I have a few pieces on the cards in the near future, but I am currently REALLY excited about a photoshoot I am styling with a really talented photographer/good friend of mine from ‘The Love Collective’ There’s going to be plenty of chalk board and hand lettered goodness, plus lots of fabulous wedding inspiration! Watch
this space:)

 

Renee Calder Design & Creatives is a boutique graphic design studio based in the beautiful Nelson, New Zealand. Renee Calder specializes in hand-lettering and custom typography for weddings, editorial, food and lifestyle design. Please visit her Facebook & Website to see more of her talent.