Rockin' Raku

Artist Judith Gary has some new work on the site we wanted to share with you. Almost all of it is raku, a specialized form of curing pottery. Shown here is the piece "Element # 3" from her Earth, Wind, Fire & Water series. it combines wheel thrown & slab built techniques and is 30 inches tall.

"Raku is a low fire technique developed by the Japanese," explains the artist. "The clay piece is set in a preheated kiln and quickly brought up to temperature. When the glaze reaches maturation (I fire to approximately 1800 deg F) the piece is pulled out and rapidly cooled. My approach is in the American Raku tradition: immediately after removal, I place the piece in a trash can with paper, which ignites and begins to burn. A lid is placed on top to seal in the smoke. The heavy reduction atmosphere results in the unique "raku look."

Raku is a strictly a decorative technique and is not suitable for food service or placement outside in the elements.

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

New iphone can broaden your horizons

Yesterday morning I learned something people who like to exercise have known for a long time, rock and roll energizes your level of output. I owe this revelation to the purchase of my new iphone. A few months back, I dropped my old phone and after 24 hours of messing with it, got it to work again, mostly by squeezing it in a strategic place. But the writing was on the wall. New phone needed. I wasn't up for an upgrade until this August so I patiently waited. In the meantime, my hairdresser had let me hold her iphone and shown me some of the features. I was mesmerized by the way the info slides across the large and easily readable touch screen.

Well, in August, my primary computer nearly died, so I began looking around for a replacement. That's another story. Needless to say I had a lemon, and wasted a lot of time on it. Once that key element in my life was finally resolved, (while I love gadgets, I have learned to be careful not to overdose myself with too much learning curve at once with items that require an analytical approach) I realized that it was time to go get the iphone. Not that I am a miser or a spendthrift, but sometimes I agonize over purchases, vacillating between guilt and manic pleasure, especially if the item is heavily hyped, or I really "want" something. Perhaps this character element is what got me into developing something like buyoutsidethebox.com where Creative Consumerism is the philosophy and backbone of our style, with you the customer at the center of story.

Very short story made long. I purchased the iphone and absolutely love it! I'm not really a music infiltrated ipoddie, but it has made my music mobile, and the dogs will attest to the benefits of walks sometime enhanced with music. The sounds of nature are still my favorite, but rock and roll does make one more energized.

My latest favorite photo graces my wallpaper on my ipod, so now I see that every time I pick up the phone. And best of all I can actually see and read my mobile email!

Okay...this all leads to our decision to add a new section to the site. In a very limited, choice selection, we are bringing you the 2008 Technology Guide. Obviously mass produced items are not our niche, but technology can be elegant, and it is part of our life today. We will be adding to this collection over the next few weeks as we discover unique items that beckon to the concept purchases need not be empty, thoughtless choices, but can be approached creatively to nurture and enhance our lives as we go about our way. Be sure to take a look! While you are shopping for the art and uniquely hand made pottery, jewelry, art glass and much more, you now have some other options available to you, like a bright blue camera. Who would have thought. I love it!--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

"Chill Out" this holiday season

When I saw this delightful hand made melting ice cube ornament by Rosanne Palumbo, I knew there were going to be a lot of buyoutsidethebox.com customers who would enjoy owning one of these clever adornments. We add new ornaments every year to our tree, and they are all my favorites, but there are some clear hand blown glass ornaments my mother gave me several decades ago that I still pack carefully away in bubble wrap each year, so as to preserve them for the next holiday season.

For the coming month of October, we will send you one of these wonderful ornaments absolutely free, with a $200 or more purchase. Or you can just order one and have it come right to your door. Don't forget to check out our fabulous handmade toys.

I ran into Santa the other day, and he told me he has been busy polishing his sleigh!--Ruth Mitchell

Ch(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

New Work by Pavel Rehurek

Our featured artist this month is Pavel Rehurek. When I first discovered the work of Pavel, I immediately recognized his ability to transform photography from a medium of documentation to an art form that stretches the imagination. We are very pleased to represent Pavel and have his new work on the site!

A Canadian artist of Czech origin, Pavel Rehurek was influenced by some Czech and Slovak émigré artists in the late sixties and seventies. He has since then been involved in fashion photography, worked in the photographic research lab at a Canadian university, assisted a leading portrait artist and exhibited his photo based graphic art prints in Europe and the U.S. For a time he left the art scene for missionary and teaching work.

Rehurek has recently re-emerged as a contemporary artist whose fine art photography and digital media fusion demonstrate his passion for the figurative, expressionist style of art. His strong and memorable images are stimulating, provoking recollections of the physical freedoms we sacrifice in living out our busy lives.

REHUREK has a wonderful sense of colors and forms and he will capture your attention with his suspenseful if not bizarre figurative compositions and portraits with unique subject orientations.

REHUREK achieves this initially in the photographic stage, and then through special cropping and processes of alteration that enhances textures, colors and shapes till the point that his art becomes almost desirable to touch, to communicate with.

by (c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Empower Yourself Cast Your Vote November 4, 2008

"Capital Hotel Flags" - George Wittenberg

I guess its my background, first as a child, then as a woman in a male dominated workplace, that attracts me to personal empowerment. I try to share what I know on the topic whenever asked, and sometimes I venture out unsolicited like now. On November 4th, we will have the privilege to vote for the leader of our nation. I certainly don't want you to think I want to sway your vote with the following information, although it does come from the Democratic party. Everyone has the opportunity to vote their conscience for the candidate they think will lead our country in the direction with which they can most easily identify. That's such an unbelievable liberty in a world where oppression and evil often still predominate. This link will take you to a centralized system, so that if you don't know where your polling places is, or you're not sure if you are even registered to vote ,you can have that information available to you almost instantaneously.

Now back to personal empowerment. What is it? My definition is it is the ability to speak up, speak out, be yourself, express yourself in a way that doesn't hinder or hurt someone else. That's why I am so personally devoted to art. Art is expression intensified by talent, training, or sometimes just plain old inspiration. Like the old rock and roll song goes..."Express yourself." That can include voting for the candidate of your choice.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Last Christmas my husband surprised me with a beautiful radio control sailboat. He's good that way with the gifts. You see, we had once had a sailboat, and we love sailing, especially me, but this radio control sailboat is all of the fun, and none of the work.

That's why I was so pleased when we recently had the opportunity to become a distributor of Old-Modern Handicrafts model boats. These exquisite hand crafted ships are constructed using the original plans of their full scale counterparts. Whether your are the collector, or your have someone in mind to receive this wonderful craft, you won't be disappointed.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Holy Palomino Ponies!

We are so excited about the new children's items we have just added to the site. These quality made toys and whimsical furniture pieces compliment the many handmade items on our site. Many shoppers are already beginning their holiday shopping, and we think you'll want to consider these wonderful items for under the tree.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Fabulous Fabergé

Trans-Siberian Railroad Fabergé Egg - 1900

I've been reading a wonderful book, Nicholas and Alexandra, by Robert K. Massie. Not only is it an insightful history of the life and death of the last Tsar of Russia, but the scope of the book encompasses a slice of European history during the reign of Nicholas II, which was from 1894 to 1917.

The modestly lengthy tome has information on many things, and one of the items of interest to art aficionados , is the Fabergé Trans-Siberian Railway egg, gifted by Tsar Nicholas II as an Easter gift to his wife, the Tsaritsa Alexandra Fyodorovna in 1900. It is said to be one of the finest of the 69 jeweled eggs made by Peter Carl Fabergé and his assistants between 1885 and 1917. It is currently on display in the Kremlin Armoury museum in Moscow.

The exterior of the exqusite egg is made of onyx, silver, gold, and quartz. It is decorated with colored enamel and the interior is lined with velvet. The egg is supported by three gold-plated griffins, and the surprise inside is a miniature replica of a steam locomotive made of gold and platinum.

The term "Fabergé egg" has become a synonym of luxury and the eggs are regarded as masterpieces of the jeweller's art. Fifty Imperial Fabergé Easter eggs were made and presented to Czars Alexander III and Nicholas II of Russia. The eggs are made of precious metals or hard stones decorated with combinations of enamel and gem stones.

Carl Fabergé and his goldsmiths designed and constructed the first egg in 1885. It was commissioned by Czar Alexander III of Russia as an Easter surprise for his wife Maria Fyodorovna. On the outside it looked like a simple egg of white enamelled gold, but it opened up to reveal a golden yolk. The yolk itself had a golden hen inside it, which in turn had a tiny crown with a ruby hanging inside, reminiscent of the matryoshka nesting dolls.

Empress Maria was so delighted by this gift that Alexander appointed Fabergé a "Court Supplier" and commissioned an Easter gift each year thereafter, stipulating only that it be unique and contain a surprise. His son, Nicholas II of Russia continued the tradition, annually presenting an egg each spring to his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna as well as his then-widowed mother.

To view more of the fabulous eggs click here.

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

TheFind.com - Shopping Search Reinvented

While search engines have had a huge impact on our lives--the other night we had a question about a certain actor we had just watched in a film, and we went right to the Internet to find the answer to our question--shopping searches tend to be rather frustrating.

Enter TheFind.com a fabulous shopping search engine geared to helping consumers search for the things they need, including many items on buyoutsidethebox.com. A sister website is TheFindGreen.com, which directs consumers to green products.

Some of the user friendly features of TheFind.com include large images and "mouse over" technology that displays all of the relevant product information direct from the merchant's Web site. No more wading through and clicking on millions and millions of text links— the best matches for your search are easily visible and are right there on the first page!

So, if you would prefer not to wade through a zillion blue text links test drive this shopper's search engine today. And oh year, don't forget to shop buyoutsidethebox while you are at it.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved