Day 1 Grand Luxe Rail Adventure - Santa Fe

Our first morning to rise aboard our sleeper car the Savannah, we have a light breakfast in the New York club car, and have adjusted somewhat to our quarters that are elegant but compact. I've never been to Santa Fe before and I am anticipating all the wonderful art. Logistics require that we take a bus to this artistic Mecca, but we will board the train later in the afternoon at Lamy, New Mexico, and ride back to Albuquerque.

Santa Fe is everything I expect and maybe a little bit more. I am blown away by the beautiful Navajo rugs, intricate silver belt buckles, hand stitched clothing and amazing jewelry. While prices are high in Santa Fe for a collector of modest means, it was a pleasure to walk the sidewalk in front of the Governor's Palace on the square and see authentic Native American turquoise jewelry. With the influx of imitation imports available throughout the pricey boutiques we were advised the best places to shop are at the museum stores where they don't charge sales tax and of course the Native American market. This market has been going on since 1929. A lottery for position on the sidewalk is fair to all, and all gemstones are authenticated as well as verification that the work is truly made by local artisans.

Guess what? I found the most amazing turquoise necklace by artist Nina Garcia of the Santo Domingo Pueblo. She was very busy with cash customers, but I gave her my card. She said she is not currently selling on the Internet, but will look into it. Her smile melted my heart. I purchased with some cash my husband had. He asked me what he had bought me, and I glowed as I showed it to him. Everyone was happy.

After a wonderful "zesty" enchilada luncheon, at La Casa Sena we got the opportunity to visit the studio of artist Christine Montano Carey Santera who specializes in the art of Early Spanish Colonial art, Retablos and tin art. She gave our group a demonstration hammering tin. We talked briefly, she busy for the next couple of weeks, but then we're going to talk about the possibility of her becoming a BOTB artist.

Needless to say, I wore my beautiful new necklace to dinner that night. Every night is a five course dinner of exceptional quality, served on gilt china with a full table service in a magnificently appointed dinning car featuring inlaid wood birds on the walls. I'll have to take a picture of the Pileated woodpeckers to show you. There is an amazing black and white photograph in one of the water closets that I think is a Winston Link. I'll have to verify that though. Which reminds me I've never written about that amazing train photographer. Look for that in the future.

The highlight of the day for me was visiting the Georgia O'Keeffe/Ansel Adams Museum. I've been a big fan of both for years. I think this was the first time in my personal history that I had seen an original O'Keeffe in person. I'll write more in depth about that at another date.--Ruth Mitchell

Building Traffic to Your Site

When we set out on this adventure to build a quality retail website that would sell art and fine, handmade things, we were just naive enough to do that. Since 2003, when the project was started there have been nearly 20 million websites added to the world wide web. That statistic is enough to blow your mind, much less get you up in the morning. And yet we still persevere. We do so, not so much as to make a profit, albeit, it would be nice to be able to afford the light bill, but out of altruism. But when it comes to business, there really is no other purpose than to be a "for profit" establishment, otherwise we probably should apply for 501 (c) 3 status. Anyway, I digress.

What it boils down to when you are hawking wares on the Internet, whether your are Target, Wal-Mart or a very little guy like us, is traffic. If you build it they will come is a nice platitude for a movie, but really that saying doesn't have much to do with reality. Reality is, "if you have traffic to your site, they might buy."

Competing with Wal-mart and Target for Internet surfers with expendable income is a challenge, when you consider their advertising budgets and ours. Constantly fishing for strategies to get the word out about our site organically, I came across a little book by Dave Balter called "The Word of Mouth Manual II. " Balter is founder and CEO of Bzz-Agent, Inc. one of the worlds' first word of mouth media companies. I found this little gem on the Word of Mouth Marketing Association site. Balter asks the question would you like to be like the Grateful Dead who had an intensely loyal following, or would you like to be a "One Time Wonder" rock star like the guy that brought us "Rock Me Amadeus," released in 1985. (See you don't even know his name.)

Balter makes the point that the Grateful Dead did not experience instant overnight success, but aside from being musical geniuses, they were very open about their personal struggles, and their creative direction. They allowed the public into their lives. They shared creatively with other artists.

What brings this to mind, is when I review this site's statistics on Google Analytics, one article in particular continues to bring a great deal of traffic to our site. It is about my daughter's wedding over a year ago in San Francisco. It was one of the most beautiful, and very non traditional weddings I've ever been to, and I've been to quite a few.

It seems the search strings: (nontraditional, non traditional, and non-traditional) weddings is quite a popular search. What an oxymoron, marriage, steeped in tradition from time immemorial, is more interesting to the Internet public if it is labeled "non" traditional. So our experience seems to validate Balter's theories on building "Word of Mouth" strategies to bring traffic to our site.

People are so funny. Go figure. Anyway, we have what we think is a pretty distinctive site, with fabulous art by artists all over the world. Try visiting a few of our pages. You'll of course be building traffic. Traffic begets traffic in the world of Google logic. We thank you for your perusal and in return, perhaps we can return the favor by introducing you to your next favorite personal possession. It is our mission, and our desire to get people to embark into Creative Consumerism™.

While you're at it, take a look at this lovely giclee print by George Wittenberg.--Ruth Mitchell

Alcazaba of Alhambra, Granada, Spain - Giclee print

Welcome Sharon Lewis

Hand painted silks ...nothing makes you feel more luxurious. Now buyoutsidethebox.com offers beautiful hand painted silk pillows by artist Sharon Lewis, to brighten up any room.

"I am a self-taught silk painter and fiber artist," says Lewis. "I have been working with silk for around 8 years. My work has been sold at local galleries, art fairs, and online. I create silk scarves, sarongs, pillows, and wraps in brilliant colors. My color schemes and influences come from the natural world and I enjoy creating unique wearable silk art."

Something Whimsical

I love this handthrown pottery piece, "Organic Cap Jar," and just wanted to share it with you. It's just in from artist Gina Skillings.

Are You a Tree Hugger?

"The Three Graces" - Jeri Burzin

Sometimes it feels like we give as much space to environmental issues as art. That's okay, if we don't take care of our world there will be no art. Also, Creative Consumers tend to be "thinking" individuals, interested in such things. As asked by Kathleen Rogers, President of the Earth Day Network, I sent a letter into my Congressmen to urge them to work for "amendments to the Climate Security Act (S.2191) to ensure that the final version of this bill will truly mitigate the climate crisis. In its current form, the Climate Security Act falls far short of what is needed to gain control of our planet's future."

The following letter came back from Senator Mark Pryor

Dear Ms. Mitchell:

Thank you for contacting me regarding climate change legislation. I appreciate hearing from you and understanding your perspective on this issue.

For the past five years I have met with concerned citizens, business leaders, environmental groups and members of the agricultural community from Arkansas and across the nation. These constituents and organizations have made it clear that appropriate climate change legislation must strike the difficult balance of reducing harmful emissions without constraining economic growth. The abundance of legislative proposals in Congress illustrate how varied the course of actions people believe the United States should undertake to achieve this common good. These approaches include creating a "cap and trade" system to limit nationwide emissions, providing tax incentives for developing and deploying technologies that decrease greenhouse gas emissions, promoting alternative fuel and energy sources, and discouraging the use of fossil fuels.

Building upon the initiatives already created by Congress, I believe that we stand poised to take significant strides to moderate the effects of climate change. A successful strategy will require the development of new technology to reduce and capture emissions, provide for greater energy efficiencies, and avoid unnecessary energy expenditures. Additionally, I believe alternative fuels and renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, will aide in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These alternative technologies, fuels, and energy sources also have the potential to provide economic growth, and move the nation toward energy independence. I will work diligently to address this issue and will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind as the debate continues in the Senate.

Thank you again for sharing your views and concerns with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my office about this or any other matter of concern to you. As always, I welcome your input.
Sincerely,

Mark Pryor
United States Senate

Save money at the pump by taking the Drive Smarter Challenge: http://www.drivesmarterchallenge.org/

The Present is Our Present

Hand Thrown Pottery Teacups

Not trying to be cryptic with the title, just a little clever. One of our artists, Allan Buitekant, has become a friend even though I've never actually met him in person. Through the short time he has had his work on the site, he has shared openly with me about his work, his life and the meaning his work gives to his life. Because of his ability to communicate openly, sometimes I feel like he's in the room and I've had a conversation with him. It also helps that I see his work every day. I've gotten to know him through his work and our email conversations. His pottery is elegant in its simplicity, which I certainly appreciate. But there is nothing simple about being human, and anyone who creates is often motivated by complex thought processes. Those artists that become proficient at their chosen medium are so because they have mastered a set of complicated skills. A little luck and talent are often essential too, but not nearly as important as a desire to create.

This morning's conversation with Allan made me aware once again of how the present moment is our gift. Often we forget this little insight, so caught up in our goals for the future or the remorse of the past, that we forget to live today. I've heard this proclaimed over and over again, by sages throughout history, so should I ignore this simple pretext to live in the moment, I would be courting folly not to engage in the wisdom of the ages.

What are your plans for enjoying this day to its fullest? I suggest a little Creative Consumerism™. Whether you shop at this site, or use your purchase power thoughtfully to support the care of our natural environment, being creative with your buying power is important too.--Ruth Mitchell

If you enjoy reading our Blog, then we think you'll enjoy these too...

Some interesting websites we've come across lately are listed below.

Our friend Judy, of the Charter Yacht Ursa Minor, shared with us recently her sailing life exploits and mentioned that the Marshall Islands had some wonderful craft art. We certainly things so. This PDF file of the Marshall Islands goes into great depth of what is available and how it is made.

COLOURlovers Blog covers the latest design trends, colors in science & culture as well as interviews with top creative professionals. COLOURlovers.com was a Nominee for Community Website 2007 in the Webby Awards.

The Insider travel guides cover Bermuda, Boston, Hawaii, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco, providing an insider's view on what to see and where to go. This blog updates you with regular tips about how to save money getting to and enjoying your destination, how to survive the hassles of traveling, what "hidden treasures" you might have overlooked as you planned your trip, and what is on the upcoming calendar.

Encouragement

Crimea 6 - Alexey Yesjunin

It's odd really to think that some people don't thrive on encouragement. But in my dealings with artists and the rest of the world, I have found that some people appreciate encouragement, some are skeptical of it, and a few are downright intimidated by encouragement as if you are manipulating them.

In my work career, I always found it odd, that while I might be excelling and making my boss lots of money, encouragement and enthusiasm for my work was handed out rather stingily. I found this strange considering encouragement is free and in fact I would have not been as concerned with how I was being compensated monetarily, than if I had a little encouragement now and then. As a parent, my children always seemed to thrive on praise and encouragement, and it only seemed logical that someone who had hired me to do a job, would find this simple courtesy effective in motivating me to work harder. Not so.

In turn, I try to encourage people in my daily encounters, whether it is an artist, a colleague or a volunteer. I'm not afraid to tell people I love them, and I am more open to giving out encouragement than I used to be. I'm not looking for something in return when I encourage, I'm just acknowledging their efforts.

The reactions I get for my encouragement are not always positive, however. There are just those that are not comfortable with a compliment.

Creative people who are "putting themselves out there," and taking risks like artists do everyday have to learn to deal with comments about their work.

I developed a "thick skin," years ago when I made the commitment to be a writer. I knew that if I wanted to become proficient as a writer, I would need to be open to constructive criticism, good bad or ugly. Prior to the internet, it was amazing how many people had time to let you know you had a comma out of place! Now, seeing poor punctuation and grammar is a daily occurrence.

And then there are times when you have to give yourself encouragement. Today, when I was working on researching new artists for the site I was sent a very hostile email, as if I was trying to take advantage of someone. I had to chuckle. You would have thought that we were out here scamming our way through life taking advantage of artists at every turn.

I guess the ultimate encouragement for any artist is purchasing their art. Who did you encourage today?--Ruth Mitchell

Opting Out

Color photograph by Dougan Gary

So far over the last few weeks, I've opted out of 23 catalogs through catalogchoice.com. None of the 23 catalogs I have requested to stop sending me a catalog has confirmed they will do so, and one catalog Title Nine (1-800-342-4448) refused my request. Call them today and ask them why. Don't think I will ever order anything from them again. Remember the good 'ole days when you might get a catalog or two around the holidays, and you were glad to receive a few gift ideas that weren't available in your locale?

I've already written about how many trees you will save by opting out of some of these mass mailings. I am still going to allow a few choice catalogs reach my doorstep, but my quest is to save as many trees as I can in this time consuming process.

The main reason we receive so many catalogs from stores we have never bought (nor ever will) things from is because many retailers sell your information to marketing companies who sell your personal information to a wide variety of marketing entities.

At buyoutsidethebox.com, we want you to know our loyalty to you as our customer extends far beyond this common courtesy. We will never sell, trade or give out your personal information. Your credit card info is safe with us as well. We are a secure site.

Easter is early this year, March 23. Celebrate with art!--RuthMitchell

Get to Know Artist Rayhart

"An untimely loss of innocence has sparked my inclination to dream in color again. I tumbled like tumbleweed across a great wide-open space, onto the plains of ecstasy. Creation has gravitated towards me and offered up the gift of painting. So, now, I shut off past inhibitions and soar beyond the norm, and stand for what has yet to be created, the mysterious unknown. My aim is to share as I have been given. Through art, I wage war within myself, for the rewards of peace. I adore each painting like a mother's first glimpse at its newborn. In short, I paint to allow for creation."--

Style
Original, abstract and somewhat surreal

Background
Born in N. Miami Beach, FL
Queens University of Charlotte, NC

Bon Air Art Affair Judges Choice Award, 2006
Chosen as a finalist in the Salem (Orbe) Emerging Artist Search in NYC, 2000
Member of Amsterdam Whitney Gallery (NYC), 2003-05
Member of Washington Project for the Arts at the Corcoran (WPAC), 2000-present
Member of The Loudoun Arts Council, 2006-present

Publications

Paint Magazine, Washington City Paper, Washington Project for the Arts at Corcoran Artist Directory, Book Art Press (BAP) - New Art International, ArtWanted.Com- Creative Minds, American Art Collector, Decor Magazine, Art Business News, Loudoun Times-Mirror, élan Magazine

Selected Showings

Middleburg Holiday Show, Middleburg, VA - 2006
Fall Into the Arts Fall Festival, Leesburg, VA - 2006
Tarara’s Great Grape Wine Festival, Leesburg, VA - 2006
Art Market At Ballston, Arlington, VA - 2006
Capital Fringe Festival, Washington, DC - 2006
Arts in the Alley, Purcellville, VA - 2006
Magnum Opus Gallery, Chadds Ford, PA - 2006
Dulles Town Center, Dulles, VA - 2006
Artscape Artist's Market, Baltimore, MD - 2005
Cleveland Fine Art Expo, Highland Hills, OH - 2004, 2005
Herndon Labor Day Jazz/ Wine/ Art Festival, Herndon, VA - 2002-2006
Loudoun Arts Council's 2005 Designer Show House, Landsdowne, VA - 2005
Power of Prayer Breast Cancer Awareness Fine Art Show, Newark, NJ - 2003, 2004
Fine Art at the Riverfront III, Wilmington, DE - 2004, 2005
Philadelphia International Art Expo, Philadelphia, PA - 2003, 2004
New Harlem Renaissance Art Show, Indianapolis, IN - 2002
Papp Gallery, SOHO, New York City, NY - 2001
Gallery 13, Denver, CO - 1999

But for the Grace of Technology

Hand thrown pottery - Allan Buitekant

While art is as old as mankind, it is technology that speeds art directly to art collectors now days. Practicing Creative Consumerism™ means that you have many options as opposed to seeing art only in galleries and museums you can view art 24/7 from the comfort of your home, and pick out those works you would like to enjoy as your own.

Now Creative Consumers have another option. You can receive updates to the blog via email. Is that not too cool? All you have to do is click on the link to the right that says: Subscribe to Buy Outside the Box via email. Or click right here.

This is especially nice for those of you who are still not into feeds. You may be familiar with and use your email all day long, but having a news feed to your computer, well, you're just not quite there yet.

We hope you have a great weekend.--Ruth Mitchell

Trophies of War

Paul Cezanne, French,1839-1906
Self PortraitOil on canvas Musee d'Orsay, Paris


It's art in limbo. Masterpieces by, Manet, Degas, Chagall, Delacroix, Monet, Max Liebermann, Cézanne, Pieter de Hooch and others are casualties of war, lost to their original owners through looting, forced sales or some, ordered taken by Hitler himself during WWII. The Soviet Red Army alone is reputed to have stolen two and a half million art objects, from Germany at the end of the war. Claimed as reparations by Stalin for the terrible damage and loss of life inflicted by the Nazis on the Soviet Union, these trophies more often than not, were stolen from the victims of the Third Reich. With each new disclosure, slowly, but surely these last prisoners of war are coming home.

As reported by the New York Times there is currently cooperation between the Israeli government and France to restore some of the paintings to their rightful owners. Such action has involved intensive negotiations and the passage of a law by the Israeli Parliament. The Israel Museum has opened an exhibition of important art looted by the Nazis from France and then returned after the war. But some works were never reclaimed, most likely because the owners were killed in the Holocaust.

The French exhibition is titled “Looking for Owners: Custody, Research and Restitution of Art Stolen in France During World War II.” The 53 French-held paintings are among some 2,000 works still not restored to their owners or descendants and maintained by French museums. The Israeli collection is smaller and less distinguished but includes an important Schiele cityscape of his mother’s birthplace, “Krumau — Crescent of Houses (The Small City V),” whose splayed arrangement of the houses carries an implicit sexual power.

Not all of this "trophy art" is good, but much of it is. Learn more about these victims of war by visiting: http://www.lootedart.com/ and The Israel Museum, Jerusalem where you can search a database of stolen art. --Ruth Mitchell

Taking You There

Blue Miles - Daryl Hines

There are some types of art that just transport you to another place. Landscapes come to mind, but there are other places more ethereal than this. I'd like to share with you a new artist to buyoutsidethebox.com that has a knack for taking you to a place of music, and rich cultural heritage. I'm speaking of artist Daryl Hines, an author, artist and attorney from Atlanta, Georgia. His realistic pastel expressions are magnetic, drawing you into the people he portrays and the stories that surround them.

Darryl's background includes study at the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Cleveland Art Museum's Gifted Students Program and The Chatuaqua Institute. As a high school student he was a National Arts Gold Key recipient. He is now following the promises of that early success in the art field, and we are so glad he's listening to his muse.

Say No to Catalogs

My sister called me recently and said, "can't we do something about these catalogs?"

"What do you mean Elly?" I asked her.

"Well, I have this personality quirk, where I think I need to look at all of them before I throw them away, and they are stacked up everywhere." I could just picture her sitting amonst stacks of catalogs. The average person wastes about 70 hours a year dealing with junk mail.

"Actually I wrote about that very topic not too long ago," I said. There wasn't much comfort in knowing my sister was one of the few that feels compelled to open and read all their junk mail. The average adult in this country receives 41 pounds of junk mail each year (about 560 pieces), and 44% goes to the landfill unopened.

So, here's an idea. Practice Creative Consumerism™ at its best. Shop online, especially here. Not only do we have art and fine handmade things for sale, there are a number of select links and advertisers featured on our blog. Then take a few minutes to visit Catalog Choice (we use this one) or http://www.41pounds.org/, and say no to the destruction of 100 million trees which are destroyed each year to make junk mail. For further reading click here.

White, Pink & Yellow Tulips - Diana Bradley

Namaste'

"Blue Tea Storage Jar" - Allan Buitekant

Yesterday was our first Yoga class. I've taken before, but now that I live out in the country, we have gotten a little band of neighbors together to start our healthy journey. Our teacher, Joanne Zeitler, has been teaching for quite some time, and she is one of the best I've worked with. She closed our peaceful session with the term Nameste' which means "I honor the Spirit in you which is also in me."

Isn't that the way? You hear something a thousand times, and then all of a sudden a light bulb goes off, and you really hear it?

I finally heard the message of Namaste', and I'm so excited I want to incorporate it into my daily life. In doing so, I recognize this is already an underlying concept and message of this website. We have collected together various "creators" who, through their art, are sharing their skills and life experiences, and vision, bringing it to you the Creative Consumer. Through their creativity, they are offering the greeting of Namaste'.

Signing off for now, hope your weekend is filled with fun and rest. Namaste'--Ruth Mitchell

Jane's Casserole

One day back in 1968, potter Allan Buitekant's wife asked him if he would make her a casserole for some dishes she wanted to make. "I was delighted to do so," says the artist. He then went into the studio, which in those days was a basement with a wheel, kiln and a table.

"While she stood behind me I produced the piece as is done in some industrial studios where the craftsman is guided. She and I worked it out together and she had her casserole which pleased her."

In 2006, Jane passed away. "I was involved in preparing for a gallery show at the time. The gallery owner saw this casserole, now with 36 years of constant use, and loved its honesty and directness and asked if I would produce these," says Buitekant.

"Without hesitation I said yes because I wanted to honor Jane in this manner. I produce "Jane's Casserole" in a 4 qt size as I did for her, unglazed outside glazed inside. One thing I do, [which is exclusive to this piece] is number and date them. When I threw the first one I was consumed with memory of her as I am every time I make her casserole." --Allan Buitekant

Happy Birthday to You

"Celery Pearl Bracelet" -Svetlana Howells

At our house we make a big deal of birthdays. Actually we turn them into week long festivals if we can get anyone to cooperate, and sometimes even if they don't. The celebration of life, of course should happen everyday, but birthdays are an excuse for a little self indulgence.

That's why we have extreme empathy for those who are born in December or January. Those born in December have the whole holiday thing overshadowing their birthday, and those who have a birthday in January. Well, it's a month when everyone is pretty well broke from the holidays. Granted there are some good sales going on that giftors can buy for giftees, but pretty much, a lot of inventory is picked over.

This is where buyoutsidethebox.com can come in and save the day. We always have beautiful art and fine, handmade things for sale. We also have a wishlist option and so you can register for all the wonderful things that will nurture your sole.

A.A. Milne was born on this day. He's the author of "Winnie the Pooh." If you have no one else's birthday to celebrate, then think "Pooh."--Ruth Mitchell

Only 102 More Days Until Earth Day

Visit Earth Day

If you want to be part of the biggest and most important Earth Day yet, join us to make 2008 the year the world unites behind the fight against climate change, water and sanitation poverty, and waste proliferation, to mention just a handful of the most important environmental challenges facing us today.

I just signed up, hope you'll join us Creative Consumers ™. Visit my pager here:-- Ruth Mitchell

Let's make it great in 2008!

Last Chance for Free Gifts!

"For the Love of Santa" - Ellen Hobgood

Tomorrow, 12/20/07 is the last day to take advantage of our FREE HOLIDAY GIFTS program. Be sure to specify your preference in the comments box upon check out. Don't miss out on this great opportunity. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!--Ruth Mitchell

Capturing the Grand Canyon

The first time I laid eyes on the Grand Canyon I realized that there are some things that just cannot be captured even by a camera. The immense size and subtle striations of color were obviously only to be witnessed in person.

I used to also think this about the pristine turquoise sea of the Caribbean, until now. Take a look at these oil paintings by April Shurgar, and I think you will agree, she has captured the essence of that iridescent body of water in some of her new works. They are all very affordable, and don't forget free shipping at buyoutsidethebox.com. With just enough time before Christmas you could make someone you love very happy with one or more of these exquisite paintings.--Ruth Mitchell








Top: "Antiqua Fishermen" - $250



Left: "Tourists" - $250

Green Giving

We're all for green giving. Art and fine handmade things are almost always "Green" in that they are made by hand and therefore do not have the same inherent pollution factors built in when created that mass produced items have. We wanted to share with you that Sue Poff's fabulous "Butter Bars" and other luxurious products were featured on page 10 of Florida's Palm Beach Post Christmas Gift "Green" Guide. We think writer Joanne Harris was right on when she chose to highlight Sue's products. I use them personally and can't get through the winter without the body butter bar. Kudos to Sue!--Ruth Mitchell

I Guess You Thought We had Fallen Off the Face of the Earth

It seems that way. We've been so busy with the holiday buying season, and trying to have a little family time of our own, that the blog has suffered. That's one of the challenges of a small company like ours. The good news is that we are busy making buyoutsidethebox.com your one stop shopping website for art and unique things this holiday season. From exquisite pottery and art glass to jewelry and items from our gourmet gallery, we think you'll be amazed at all the beautiful things you can buy on our website.

On a personal note, over the Thanksgiving holiday, we were very blessed to have most of our family gathered. What I thought would be a great hit with the grandkids, a viewing of Happy Feet, was mostly a bust. By the time all the adults joined in to watch our Netflix movie, the little ones, already overstimulated by all the fun were ready to wander. Oh well. I'd heard so much about the movie, but what turned out to be even more enjoyable was the March of the Penguins, the Academy Award-winning nature documentary by Luc Jacquet about the Emperor Penguins who live at the South Pole. This amazing documentary, probably provided inspiration for the creators of Happy Feet. Viewing it has inspired me to become more proactively "Green" at our house than we already are. The delicate eco system this highly specialized species lives in is at risk as is all the earth.

Are you recycling? If your recycling doesn't outweigh your other garbage, you should probably reexamine you recycling procedures. We live in a remote area, and so don't have curbside pickup, but we manage to haul as much recycling material to town as if we did have curbside service.

And as much as I enjoy looking at catalogs that come in the mail, especially this time of year, I'm proud to think that our online only gallery does not contribute to the deforestation of the earth. I found some pretty interesting info on the topice at http://www.41pounds.org/. For instance did you know:

• More than 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail. 42% of timber harvested nationwide becomes pulpwood for paper.
  


• The energy used to produce and dispose of junk mail exceeds 2.8 million cars.
  Save water. About 28 billion gallons of water are wasted to produce and recycle junk each year.
  


• You waste about 70 hours a year dealing with junk mail.
  


• The pulp and paper industry is the single largest consumer of water used in industrial activities in developed countries, and it’s the third-largest industrial greenhouse gas emitter (after the chemical and steel industries).
  


• The average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail each year (about 560 pieces). 44% goes to the landfill unopened.
  


• On average, we receive 10.8 pieces of junk mail a week, compared to only 1.5 personal letters.
  


• More than 62 billion pieces (4 million tons) of junk mail are produced each year.
  The majority of household waste consists of junk mail.
  40% of the solid mass that makes up our landfills is paper and paperboard waste.
  Junk mail inks have high concentrations of heavy metals, making the paper difficult to recycle.
  


• $320 million of local taxes are used to dispose of junk mail each year.
  California’s state and local governments spend $500,000 a year collecting and disposing of AOL’s direct mail disks alone.
  


• Transporting junk mail costs $550 million a year.
  

So, it's pretty compelling news to me that I need to enlist in one of these services to stop those pretty catalogs from coming to my house. I'm online anyway, and shopping anyway. I can enjoy my surfing knowing that I have done my part to slow global warming.

Take a look at this gorgeous menorah by Andrew Jackson Pollack. But order now, or he'll be too busy to create one just for you in time for the holidays. Don't forget our rewards program with free gifts. Cheers!--Ruth Mitchell

Content No Longer King

A hundred years ago cotton was king. Last year content was king. Now social networking is king. This brief little survey of cultural norms brought to you by an internet marketer. (That would be me.) In a nutshell we've moved from a world focused on the basic needs of food, shelter and clothing, to a world that is connecting globally via the internet. Recent articles that have been appearing in my inbox, now indicate that social networking is the best way to market online. That's really good news for a small company like ours that doesn't have a huge advertising budget.

Let me explain a little, going back a little further than you probably want to. In the '90s, I worked in journalism, and we had a visionary editor who brought in a consultant who had been working on a little known project called the internet. It was being developed by brainiacs at universities across the world. Oddly enough, much of the information available was sparse, mostly erroneous and included things like how to make a bomb. I guess the brainiacs were keeping all the good stuff to themselves. The point was the internet was originally known as the information highway. Shortly thereafter, we got interoffice email, allowing us to sit at our desks even more so that we'd have to spend more time at the gym. It both connected and disconnected us, but ultimately made us more work efficient.

The idea of individual computers linked electronically was conceptually grasped by writers such S. Roxanne Hiltz and Murray Turoff (Addison-Wesley, 1978, 1993) who wrote The Network Nation. It wasn't long before retailers began seeing the merits of online marketing. But content was still king because the internet was developed by brainiacs, and Google and other search engines were set up on the premise that the internet was an "information highway." So, SEO, or Search Engine Optimization was born and the idea that if you wanted to attract traffic to you site, you needed to have lots of juicy content that would organically attract search engines.

According to Wikipedia, the world's first socially network based encyclopedia, early social networking websites included: "Classmates.com (1995), focusing on ties with former school mates, and SixDegrees.com (1997), focusing on indirect ties. Two different models of social networking that came about in 1999 were trust-based, developed by Epinions.com, and friendship-based, such as those developed by Jonathan Bishop and used on some regional UK sites between 1999 and 2001.[Innovations included not only showing who is "friends" with whom, but giving users more control over content and connectivity. By 2005, one social networking service MySpace, was reportedly getting more page views than Google, with Facebook, a competitor, rapidly growing in size. In 2007, Facebook began allowing externally-developed add-on applications, and some applications enabled the graphing of a user's own social network -- thus linking social networks and social networking.
Social networking began to flourish as a component of business internet strategy at around March 2005 when Yahoo launched Yahoo! 360°. In July 2005 News Corporation bought MySpace, followed by ITV (UK) buying Friends Reunited in December 2005." Wikipedia estimates there are now over 200 social networking sites.

So, as a small entrepreneur, social networks provide a non-advertising venue to reach potential customers with goods and services. One such website called thisnext.com has a "Watch People Shop" page. Click on it, its fascinating. It is a real time log of people buying things listed on thisnext.com.

Gee, I can remember when I thought blogging was for bored teenagers who needed to "get a life." Now I see it as a way to share and receive information from all corners of the world. We are still very much into providing quality content in addition to the fabulous art created by artists from around the world. I share this masterfully produced watercolor painting with you now. Let us hear from you!--Ruth Mitchell

White Iris - Laurin McCracken

Recent Nudes

I don't know much about the artist, Eoin de Leastar. He is an Irish artist, whose work is very much to my liking. I went to his website, and perused. There my knowledge of him ends. He is important to me because when I was doing research for this blog I found a quote that defined for me the purpose of nudes in art. Leastar's quote: "Beauty is form contemplated without desire."

I went to my usual sources for information, but didn't come up with much on the topic of nudity in art. This really surprised me. Maybe I just had researcher's block. Anyway, nudity in art has always been much more acceptable because of this premise that artists study the human form and portray it in many different ways, but the study of the
body, is often most revealing in a literal way of course, but also in a metaphorical sense, through the lack of clothing. These three female figures I share now, not all entirely "nude," portray three very different looks at the human condition.

Now, I can only imagine that some of the great masters who had naked women and men posing for them for hours, may have indulged in prurient thoughts, or they may not have. When is a nude a subject of pornography and when is it art? I think Leastar's quote does a great job of answering that question.

In my opinion, only the beholder can say. Nevertheless, from time to time the public gets in an uproar about some artist's work, who people feel may have crossed the line, and so we have a Maplethorpe who gets instant notoriety. I do think photography as a medium is much more difficult to manipulate toward the purity of the form and distance from the prurient because of its nature.

The topic is on my mind, because some amazing female figures have come to our attention and have been placed for sale on our website. On the top left is "Katherine," by Ildikó Kalapács. In this painting I interpret the body language as one of highly charged emotional angst with submission not used as acceptance, but as a way to manipulate power. I'm not sure if that was Ildikó's intention, but it is undeniable to me.

On the middle right in "Shy Girl" we see a classic modest nude in the fashion of some of the Greek classics, by Rute Santos, and below, the work titled "High Heels" by Canadian artist Pavel Ruhrek. Most people might argue this is not a nude, but in addition to its commentary on current cultural trends evolving through fashion, I think the hint of the human form does indeed qualify it for Leastar's definition, "contemplation without desire." I share these wonderful artworks with you now.--Ruth Mitchell













"High Heels" - Pavel Rehurek

Just in from Spokane

"Ms. O"

Spokane, Washington, is living its second renaissance which means, among many things, it is rediscovering and restoring many of its fabulous old buildings. This evokes lots of local history and brings some of it to the forefront. As a visual artist who is interested in social issues and in the human condition, I was particularly struck by the fact that Spokane used to have a thriving red-light market in the early 20th century.

There is one particular building I saw restored which became Isabella's Restaurant. The story goes that a madame called Isabella used to operate there, selling young ladies' services to the local male population. The restaurant was named after her because it is believed that her spirit has never left.

"Suzi"

Thus this story goes to the heart of my art. I approach the human condition with compassion. I created close-ups of six women (Suzi, Theresa, Anne, Katherine, Ms. O and Isabella), fictional characters as I imagined them: Tired, unhealthy, beautiful, girlish or down-trodden in their body language, submissive or withdrawn, perhaps lonely. It was a somewhat new approach for me visually because these are individuals with names and faces, they are real flesh and blood, not just "concepts" of my ideas about human social conditions. The personal meets the political here.