Written by TLC student, Bernice van Gils.

Normally this statement would have creative people running for the hills, but for me, this statement began a journey of self discovery that has opened many doors.

Boxes and I have a very special relationship.  My first creative experience with boxes goes back to when I was four.  Our family doctor had a private practice in a small town just outside of Christchurch called Templeton.  I discovered one day, while visiting for some childhood ailment, that the doctor had a very smelly toilet.  Having identified the problem and taken it upon myself to come up with a solution, I spent the next few weeks at Kindy making an air freshening unit out of cardboard boxes.

You can imagine my mother’s dismay when this ‘said’ contraption accompanied us on our next visit to the doctor.  Apparently I even gave him a demonstration on how it worked and proudly placed it in the offending cubicle feeling that I had made the world a better place, if only for those people unfortunate enough to require the use of this particular loo.

So, I guess you could say that Boxes and I go way back.

Fast forward to 2004.  After having trained as a folk-artist for a couple of years, I decided it was time to explore a more liberal approach to creativity and started painting abstract and contemporary paintings which people seemed to enjoy.  It was time to combine this new found love of painting with my love of boxes and I started creating miniature works which were then gift-boxed for family and friends.

This proved to have a level of success that saw me branching out and seeking other artists to also create work for my boxes….. and thus Art in a Box Ltd was born.

I opened a gallery and a website and had over 40 artists who created small works in which ever genre they created in, and we sold these as affordable gifts in our gallery. The boxes served as a calling card to the artist’s larger works which were displayed on the website.

It was a lot of work, but it was an incredibly valuable experience. When I began the business, it simply never occurred to me that it couldn’t be done.  I was passionate about working with artists, selling their work and of course… the boxes.

Like many who have found their way to TLC, I too had a life changing experience and had to review my life and my own creative journey.

I closed down the business, the gallery and the website and made the move to Wellington with my children and my lovely husband.  It was time to get back to basics…. And continue my journey of self discovery through creativity with the help of TLC.

Finding solutions to problems in a creative and effective way is something that I thrive on, and it was during a conversation with friends of mine that it became apparent that I had stumbled upon a solution to my particular problem -  the dream of the business was still there, but I didn’t have the capacity to do it alone.  Enter stage left… Andrew Martin, my soon to be business partner.

Andrew has a very strong business back ground, and was looking for an internet based business to get his teeth into.  I had already identified where my own strengths and weaknesses were, and having identified that I didn’t want to run the business solo this time, we pooled our strengths and totally revised and revamped Art in a Box Ltd.

Gemini Sisters- By Bernice Van Gils

It was quite a challenge bringing together the business world and the creative world, but we have given life to something pretty special in our little company. We set up a fully ‘e-commerce’ online gallery which merges the needs of the artist with the needs of potential customers and acts as the interface between the two, alongside providing the artists with the opportunity to get their work out there.

Like any new business, it takes time to build a reputation and to gain the trust of those who join our little online family.  Being a working artist myself gives me a bit of an insight into what I have found helpful for getting my own work seen.  By approaching it from an artist’s perspective, I feel that we have created a useful tool, and more importantly, a completely user-friendly tool.

Sadly, the little boxes had to be retired from the business side of things, with us being totally internet based, but we decided to keep the original name…. the boxes now being replaced by the box in which all the spectacular artwork is now viewed….. the computer.

I get so inspired and excited when I see new work coming through from other artists.  It feeds the soul to be part of such a creative community.  My passion for doing the best I can in helping get work out to such a wide audience seems to grow rather than diminish, which definitely bodes well for the future!

What I really wanted to provide, with Andrew’s sound business back-up, was an opportunity for artists, just like me, to get their work seen by a wide audience with the potential for them to sell work anywhere around the world….. and that is just what has happened.  Our website is getting hits from all over the globe, commissions are coming in for artists, sales are taking place and through word of mouth, artists are taking a punt and sharing their work in our gallery.

Jewellery by Natalie Halley (TLC student)

It was paramount that the whole process was as artist-friendly as possible.  To help this, we have taken on the challenge of doing all the uploading and offering to tidy up images if required, for free.  Artists can feel secure in the knowledge that they retain full copyright on all their work and can continue to sell their work in the ‘real world’ how ever and where ever they choose…. All they do is let us know when things are sold so we can keep things current.

For those that join, there is a small monthly fee which keeps the site up and running and if our site handles sales directly, then there is a competitive commission of 28%.  This covers the handling of the client, communication and e-commerce stuff.  From talking with the artists, it became clear that they much prefer packaging their own work, so this is the only piece of the puzzle that the artist has to deal with personally, thus ensuring they feel confident about sending off their work.

Meditation By Chris Partington (TLC student)

It has been a fantastic learning curve but having a business partner there to take care of the nuts and bolts so I can focus on the work and the artists, means a sound foundation for our little company.

Sometimes we have to let go of things in our lives in order to be free to grasp the next step, and while this can be a very scary and unsettling experience, it can provide its own vast rewards.  Since closing down the business in 2006, packing up the gallery and moving cities, I thought that I was going to have to say goodbye to my dream of running my own company in the art world in my own way.

Sometimes we have to have faith, take that leap, and follow the passion.

The Reserve By Chris Partington (TLC student)

For me, that was coming to TLC, realizing that not fitting in to the ‘status quo’ in the art world was not necessarily a hindrance, as it supported my need to not follow the path well trod.  It meant that exploring fresh ideas and approaches keeps the passion alive for what I want to achieve with the company, and with my own creativity.

The future looks bright for Art in a Box.  We have a good passionate team who enjoy the challenge of presenting creativity and art to a wider audience in a business-like manner while providing our artists with a good amount of hands on support in a personal way.  We have plans to evolve the site as it grows….. it’s all very exciting.

My theme song would definitely have to be the Tim Finn song “…. I just had to find a like-minded someone, who had no idea that it couldn’t be done”

…. if anyone wants to know more about showing their work online, or has any questions about the website, don’t hesitate to drop me a line, either via the website on the contact sheet www.artinabox.co.nz , txt or phone me on 0272755579, or email me at bernice.vangils@artinabox.co.nz