Artist Of The Month For May 2007

Bright Blessings;
So getting right to it,i would like to bring ya into the know of whats been cooking here at Outsider Central.I am delighted to announce that in collaboration with Ruby Dog's Art House we will be presenting Artists of the Month through Ruby Dog's. The Artists that will be showcasing their small works are known throughout creative circles.

So this may be a one time that you will be able to purchase from your favorite artist of the month for $4.00.Please note that there is limited numbers of Artists of the month Art.

Small unique works of Creative Xpression from Outsiders Artists will continue to be available in Ruby Dog's machine as well as other machines that are in Vancouver and Beyond. Thank You for supporting the Arts!!!

Outsider Art In A Box & Ruby Dog's Art House Presents
Ruby Dog's Art House 4738 Main Street

Christina Lazar-Schuler

Christina Lazar-Schuler is the Owner/Creative Director of Lazar StudioWERX, a local manufacturer of fine art rubberstamps and handpainted printed papers. Christina, and her husband Terry, have created and brought their inspired line of products to the wholesale, retail and online craft markets for nearly seven years, consistently maintaining top quality products with a strong artistic vision. Lazar StudioWERX has offered their unique products to consumers through an online retail presence for years; recently, Christina has opened a small retail storefront in Vancouver with mixed media art supplier Ruby Dog's Arthouse. This unique store combines all that is cool in paper arts with vintage ephemera, collage materials, edgy/graphic papers, cool vintage/fine art inspired rubberstamps and more.

Coming from a strong graphic design and mixed media art background, Christina's paper arts style can be described as eclectic and urban; she combines 'traditional' design styles with unusual, vintage ephemera and commercially available embellishments to create pieces that are injected with modern, urban flair. Her teaching experience is rooted primarily in the mixed media realm and is excited about sharing her more 'arty' techniques with local paper artists - hoping to push them out of their creative boxes and into a place of experimentation and discovery.

Thanks...

Here is a sample of the original page that will be altered:


In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda

ALL That!!!!

Hello; Hello;
Yes it is I,I am alive and kicking here at Outsider Central...I am still in the cycle of healing and its very slow and challenging as i had expectations that all would be well in a few weeks after surgery HA! well i am going on four weeks and there is still alot more that has to heal yet...

I am slowly beginning to get back on track with Outsider Art In A Box..do u know that our year anniversary is upcoming the end of May..yeah wow the time has just flown.

Please stay tuned over the next couple of days as there is wonderful collaboration coming up with Outsider which i am very pumped about.

I am often asked as to where my creative ideas come from and what i can say is getting out there and seeing different places,people and experiences.

Krystin Goodsell one of Outsiders biggest supporters and contributors had her own one women show at Libbys Kitchen on the weekend...I love Krystins work its very diverse mixed media i love her use of different materials,so people ease on down the road and check it out!!!!

The other pics are of a recent visit out to Delta to an aquaintances floathome,kewl eh..i fell in love and instantly wanted a floathome.I so love alternative live/work spaces ....i would love to hear where u live/work..

There are two resident swans at this floathome community. The floathome we were visiting had some eggs on the owners deck that had been abandoned..none of us present had any idea what bird or??? that the lost eggs belonged to.

Wanted: Outsider is seeking outside funky space to work/storage from heres the catch
we need free space we're open to a work exchange or ???????????

Bring It On

O'k people thanx for your patience here at Outsider blogland..

Rock On in the Art World

Rhonda

I was lost but now am found and Return of the Muse

Salutations Creative Ones;
Thanx for the well wishes and healings from here and personal emails...I am still in healing and will be for awhile yet but my energy is returning in a welcome manner.

I have been in a creative slump for a quite awhile and didn't get it until the last few days ,throwing in the towel was alot easier than cleaning up the mess...The mess meaning my creative space it became a dumping ground a storage room for stuff,when u begin to go down that slope u have to hit the bottom to get the big picture or more like tune in..Fear manifests itself in many forms and so the underused creative space...Creatively i have felt challenged in many ways but today i can say all those challenges are worth it as i am now ready to move forward. I still have aprox another 3 weeks of healing to go which is allowing me time to renew,reflect on my art-full journey.

Cleaning up has opened my clarity and my sense of purpose is beginning to return,i couldn't have done this without my creative support team u know who u all are and I thank you for the reality checks and kick in the ass!!!

The other awesome gift is the return of my muse her name is Taylor ...my lovely young adult daughter who is living back in BC an hour from her old mom..Taylor from birth has been an inspiration for my creative expression and is a welcome critic of my work.

Spring has a way of waking one up and i am grateful for the new blossoms all around me...

BRING IT ON!!!!!!!

In Artistic Peace;
Rhonda

Musings....................

Howdy Art Beings;
I haven't been hooked in lately which is the lack of postings...I have gone through major surgery very recently an having to relearn basic skills that i've taken for granted on a day to basis until its been compromised,so please be patient in the time it takes for me to get back to ya....

Remember the puzzle swap a few postings back that i was involved in, well above are some pics of the outcome of the wide range of creativity ..they are pretty kewl!!! if u get a chance and u are live in Vancouver check out Ruby Dogs Art House where the puzzles are living right now,(the address is to the right here).

The remaining pics are of my trip to Tofino..all i can say is awesome..it was the annual Whale festival so lots was going on. here i is beach combing for nature art supplies and the ocean YAHOO!!!

The pic of the hands is of bracelets that we weaved made out of bark from the local trees...it was too short but a a great get away...Outsider has been very quiet these days as i have been doing lots of reflection and thinking. I have many things on the burner that are simmering away and hopefully in April they will be presented.

Have an Awesome day!!!

In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda

Makes It All Worth It.......................

Sometimes as an Artist one never knows how creativity affects the masses per say.
As this project moves forward, i hear what i could be doing more of or better and then there are the times like a couple of days ago when i received a wonderful email(below) where someone took the time to let the artist know that a project is pretty awesome and those jewels of support are such a welcome sparkley surprise.. Create Your Way is a mantra that i interact with on a daily basis as an artist being in and of the world.Before the project began i was searching for a path to follow creatively,its funny how i jumped into Art Vending somewhat blind but now i see lol lol

I am very grateful for Reese's weekly help her insight is refreshing and is a a great way for me to see other ways to approach different aspects of Outsider.

There is alot going on behind the scenes and i hope to share that with you all soon. I am getting outside interest in my own personal work and am focusing on some commissions. I am off to Tofino but wanted to stop in to say hi...have an awesome weekend....

Rhonda,

I'm really enjoying the art I got from the Outsider Art In A Box :

The pin with the chalkboard paint that you can write on with the tapered chalk that you made.

Dolly Rocker doll from bowerbird.com I have her hanging on my fridge.

Nicci Battilana cool vinyl bracelet with snaps on it.

I scanned them as I told you and put them on my Picture Trail album and just got back some comments from members of the Rubberstamping Together (RST) email group I belong to and thought I would forward them to you.

Barb, remember when you said you bought an art piece out of a
machine??? Well on the Rachel Ray show this morning they talked about
it. Apparently someone bought up a bunch of old cigarette machines and
they are all over the U.S. and I guess Canada too. All sorts of art is
in them and Rachel "bought" a mini painting of a goat today. Just
thought that was ironic that you had just mentioned it and here it was
on Rachel Ray.

denise

I remember when these first came out. They take submissions from people for
artwork. here's a link that tells about it.

Barb



The other comments are in reference to Art-O-Mat, although they dialogue and comment on the US project people are still very aware of Art Vending. Thank You Barb for your kind letter.

In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda

Alive and Kicking

Greetings Artful Ones;
Yes were are here alive and kicking at Outsider Central.been feeling like i have been in a time warp as of late..The above pics are the last two events that either Outsider art in a box was part of or Organized.

The Vagina Monologues was very well attended and the Arty farty before the play was a blast,it was like old home week for me. Krystin a Outsider contributor had a table set up selling some very diverse funky shrines take a peek.....

The ATC Make and Take Event was a small intimate affair but full of laughter and loads of creativity,thanx for those that were able to come on down.

Now that we have sprung ahead and blue skies are coming forth yahoo..things are a cooking here at central as usual stay tuned...

In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda

International Women's Day (And you thought it was all about burning bras...)

Outsider Art In A Box Presents...

An International Womyn’s Day Event

( No Art Experience Necessary.)

This is a Make and Take Event. Create Artist Trading Cards and xpress what International Womyn’s Day means to you and then trade with others. All ATC Kits & supplies included in ticket price.

Purchase tickets early as Space is limited

Tickets available at Shaktea 3702 Main St
$10.00( all supplies included)

Womyn’s Day Event : SHAKTEA 3702 Main St

March 10.2007 6:00pm—10:00 pm

* ATC Kits Made By Leanne of Ruby Dogs Art House
*Portion of proceeds donated to a Womyn’s Group.
Tickets will not be sold at the door at the night of the event

Shaktea offers a wide range of teas,cold drinks and sweets for sale

I look forward to sharing this creative event with you

In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda

And now a word from Reese...

As international women's day is approaching on March 8th, I thought I'd do a little research on how it all came to be. What I found moved me profoundly, and has made me realize how far women have come in the last century. The following was copied off of Wikipedia...

"The first IWD was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Among other relevant historic events, it commemorates the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (New York, 1911), where over 140 women lost their lives. The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions. Women from clothing and textile factories staged one such protest on 8 March 1857 in New York City. The garment workers were protesting what they saw as very poor working conditions and low wages. The protesters were attacked and dispersed by police. These women established their first labor union in the same month two years later.

More protests followed on 8 March in subsequent years, most notably in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. In 1910 the first international women's conference was held in Copenhagen (in the labour-movement building located at Jagtvej 69, which today houses Ungdomshuset) by the Socialist International and an 'International Women's Day' was established, which was submitted by the important German Socialist Clara Zetkin. The following year, IWD was marked by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. However, soon thereafter, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed over 140 garment workers. A lack of safety measures was blamed for the high death toll. Furthermore, on the eve of World War I, women across Europe held peace rallies on 8 March 1913. In the West, International Women's Day was commemorated during the 1910s and 1920s, but dwindled. It was revived by the rise of feminism in the 1960s.

Demonstrations marking International Women's Day in Russia proved to be the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917. Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik feminist Alexandra Kollontai persuaded Lenin to make it an official holiday, and it was established, but was a working day until 1965. On May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet International Women's Day was declared as a non working day in the USSR "in commemoration of outstanding merits of the Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Motherland during the Great Patriotic War, their heroism and selflessness at the front and in rear, and also marking the big contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples and struggle for the peace".

With that in mind, here's another awesome local IWD events coming up.
Have a good one women.
-R-

V-Day Vancouver

As part of the 2007 V-Day Worldwide Campaign, Vancouver is proud to present a benefit production of The Vagina Monologues to raise awareness and funds for local organizations working to end violence against women and girls.

Performances:

3 March 2007 - 8 PM

Venue Info:

Venue: Wise Hall

1882 Adanac St
Vancouver British Columbia V5L 2E2
Canada

Venue Capacity: 250
Accessible to people with disabilities: yes

More Details:

One benefit showing of the Vagina Monologues with craft/art tables

Beneficiary: Art Matters & Women's Information and Advocacy

Sponsor: Art Matters & Penny-a-Line

Performance Language: English

Sign Language Interpreted: no

Tickets price: $15

To purchase tickets:

604-859-2407 (Fraser Valley #) Shaktea, 3702 Main St, Vancouver

For more information: http://www.ragmag.net

Falling To Pieces.................

My humble apologies for not posting sooner as i have been falling to pieces,well actually i am all caught up in a puzzle swap hosted by Ruby Dog's Art House. There is no theme and so i am truly pushing myself through to the finish.

The Womyn's Ware machine is now installed and looks beautiful in the new surroundings.i am working on some of my own ideas to place in the boxes as my creativty is nil unless one considers admin duties for Outsider Art In A Box a form of creativty.

This is short hello, Reese will be here at Outsider Central Thursday so look for her posting tomorrow.

In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda

Darnit, Darnit,Darnit

How Do???
I wanted to show some more of the diverse creative expression that the newest contributor has sent into Outsider Art In A Box.

In the previous posting peek-a-boo Bella was introduced and some examples of her creativity. This particular piece to the right is one of my faves and this is a great example of work that can be enjoyed by all ages. I may ask Bella to make more of these Darn It Dolls so that they can go also in go in the other Outsider Art Vending Machines. Please Click on it so that you can read about the use of the Darn It Doll Ya gotta love it!!!

There are some new branches a brewing here at Outsider Central please stay tuned!!!

Have a Creative Filled Day....

Creativity Rocks;
Rhonda

Peek-A-Boo

Hello Hello One and all,
Sorry, I'm running out of catchy greetings. Reese here, of course, with a wee update. It is my distinct pleasure to unveil our latest project and one of our pioneering artists involved. Our newest box will be art for children by other young people. We are currently in need of young artists to fill it, as well as a location, although we have one place that we have our eye on.

Anyway, here is one of our gifted young artists. She has written her own bio below, and there are pics of her work . Its so awesome to see someone so young following their artistic passions.
( Must be the homeschooling;)

-Reese

Hi! I am Bella.
I am an 11 year old kid from Alberta.
I have been homeschooled all my life.
I love to work with my hands and to try all different kinds of crafts.
Besides crafting, I love to rock climb and skateboard.
I love monkeys and one day want to volunteer in Borneo to help save the orangutans.

Be Weird!!!

Happy Heart Day!!!

Happy Day!!!
I wanted to reveal a new machine today,that will be installed this week at *Womyns Ware 896 Commercial Dr. A couple of months ago i was approached by Andrea the retail manager of Womyns Ware as they would be interested in hosting a machine.

Andrea chose some of the items from the inventory that they would like in the machine,so that was a start. Then could a machine be done to suit their store. As much as i would have loved to do this machine time was a factor for me, so i contacted an artist that i felt would reflect the stores needs. Krystin Goodsell http://walkingwithkrystin.blogspot.com/ painted and embellished this beautiful machine..Krystin sent pics throughout the process and i gotta tell ya i love the outcome. Krystin has been a huge supporter of Outsider as well as her creative contributions to the art vending machines. As this project continues to grow i am always amazed at the creativity from all the artists that have and are part of Outsider Art In A Box.
Thank-You................

*Please note this is an adult store and you must be 18 plus to enter...


In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda

Peek-A-Boo

The past weekend was all about the creativity at Outsider Central...

Nancy Mckay owner/operator of Sacred Drum Herbals from Kamloops BC is adding her creative expression in the form of soap . What i have always found interesting in Nancy's approach to soap making is that she works from the ground up, All Sacred Drum Herbals Soaps are made from all natural vegetable base using primarily organic and wild crafted herbs and plant material from Nancy's garden.

Box making was a work party friday night Thank You Nancy and Jody for your help.

This is short folks as more is coming over the next few days... Stay Tuned..

In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda

WANTED: TINY ARTISTS

Oops!

Did I write tiny artists? I meant tiny art...but if you are a tiny artist please know that we are an equal opportunity project.

So yes...tiny art. If you are reading this blog then you may already be aware of what we do. Outsider Art In A Box owns a number of refurbished vending machines that dispense boxes that are 4.25" in length, 3" Width, and 1" Depth . For more information, and to obtain a submission form, please check out our website at www.alteredanything.com.*(click on Outsider Art.)


We currently have twenty or so artists involved with our endeavour, and welcome all mediums. Our main goal is to make art affordable and accessible to people from all walks of life. We also want to provide an outlet for art that is "outside the box", and then put it into a box.
(I know, it sounds counter productive, but it somehow works.)

So please don't be shy, and spread the word.

-Reese

PS. BIG THANKS to Kathy for giving me a coffee condom. I feel so much better knowing that I have protection for my MANY caffeinated encounters. ;)

Wanted: A New Home

This is the newest machine that was created by Claudia Segovia of Purple Orange Arts.
www.purpleorangearts.com

isn't it cute and fun!!! this machine has no home yet but what i would like to fill this machine with is kids art yep made by young artists.it would be neat to have it reside at a space that kids of all ages go to,so i am open to ideas.....












Next Week Outsider will be revealing another machine that will be going to its new home on February 14th/07 . I received another dose of the flu last week so my apologies for lack of posting.
There are some fab developments here at Outsider Central and will be revealed soon.



















Well Creative Ones not much to say today but wanted to show off this funky machine. Thanx to all the artists that have added their creativity to the Outsider Art Vending Machines inside and out each one is unique and most certainly showcases the artists creativity and alot of talent. Outsider is diverse in each and every machine and for me that is what and more that this project is all about. Thanx to each and every one of you and for your creativity.

Rock On In The Creative World!!!

In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda

Do What You Love....................

How Do;
I am back at Outsider Central refreshed from a brief trip away to Powell River and Gibsons the beautiful Sunshine Coast!!!
I know it does my psyche loves these get aways as it gives a fresh perspective.The pic on the right is from the ferry from Gibsons to Vancouver we were right in front and this pic was taken with the window rolled down.


Its been nine years since i was in Powell River and sure there have been small changes,time slows down when u leave the city and head to these smaller areas.

Kingfisher Used Books is the new residence for an Outsider Art Vending Machine,Peter & Sharon Deane owners and operators of this funky readers dream space are old friends that i hadn't seen in 20 yrs,Outsider bought us back together Sharon saw or should i say heard my interview on Breakfast TV summer 2006 and contacted me through the programme.

I remember Sharon and Peters passion and love affair then with books,their home was a walk in library and Sharon always dreamed of having a bookstore and i tell ya this is a strong indication to follow your bliss people!!!

I was in love in this bookstore as i have a love of books myself and here i was surrounded well needless to say this was my hang place while in Powell River and wanting to catch up on 20 years of our lives.The Art Vending Machines fits well into this eclectic space.


















The above three pics are the new install and home of another Art Vending Machine.The above pic is an old pal of my partners, Sandy pictured with the art vending machine is a long time resident of Powell River. Above pic is Peter checking out the machine after install.
and below is a pic of my old buddies as u can see we are all overjoyed at having our pic taken...NOT.





Also got a chance to step out in Powell River, Sharon took me out for lunch at this funky restaurant called Local Locos it amazes me to see the wide range of creative expression that shows itself in diverse ways this is a prime example. Below are two of the kewl works of art hanging about in Local Locos

















Before Xmas i seriously was going to pack Outsider in as i wasn't sure if it was
going anywhere hence my downtime allowed me to evaluate this project and most certainly there have been lots of signs to allow me to go forward..Already Reese is a blessing and a young perspective.Thanx to Kathy Braun, Krystin Goodsell, Ann Blackwell,Leanne Bishop,Claudia Segovia ,Cindy Erksine,Heather and my partner Bev for their support.I thank also those that i forgot to name here....... Thank-You

Well i have rattled on quite enough.

Good Day To One And All

In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda