WHO ARE WE?
We used to be a husband and wife partnership that started in 2005 in Geeveston, Tasmania until the time of Howard's passing in August 2021. I would like to keep him in here so people know how it all started. Some of pieces created by Howard can still be found and purchased in our online shop.
To our early customers and creative friends, we were also known as the HR factor (the Howard and Rino factor).
Howard Whitehead
Howard finished his apprenticeship as an aircraft instrument technician in 1965 and within a few months was working as electrician maintaining outstation power houses in Papua-New Guinea.
The next thirty years were spent mostly as an industrial electrician with various companies and self employed with breaks as a cook in Spain and dock keeper in England.
Howard started making jewllery in 1989 and from 1993 to 2001 was a technician for TAFE Fine Arts in Launceston. He was also a sessional teacher in jewellery, sculpture and drawing.
He created pieces in metal (silver, brass, copper and bronze.)
Rino Nobel
Rino originally came from Indonesia and arrived in Australia in 1996. She grew up in Jakarta and pursued her interest in art after quitting her Economics Study.
She went to Singapore to undertake studies in Fine Art in LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts, majoring in Ceramics which then she continued to do her Glass Studies at Monash University.
Rino had an opportunity to be part of the teaching staff in a Melbourne-based company that ran Indonesian art and culture workshops.
Since moving to Tasmania she started concentrating at creating pieces in glass, ceramics, painting and other materials.