Red Elephant Gallery

The Legend of the Mardi Gras Pumpkin played out in Art Glass

2009-06-26T10:20:00.007-05:00

New Orleans is a city with a soul. I don’t know why. It had one long before I rolled into town as a freshman at Tulane University. And at 18 I didn’t really care what made New Orleans soulful, I just enjoyed it. From the Audubon Zoo across the street from campus to the esplanade along the Mississippi from where you looked down on the river but, weirdly, looked down further into the city, to the amazing French Quarter and the crazy beignets at Café Du Monde. Ah yes, and Cooter Brown’s late night cheese fries and Popeye’s even later buttery biscuits . . . whoa, nice trip down memory lane. New Orleans was a fantastic city in which to learn both academically and emotionally. I miss it.

We almost lost New Orleans four years ago and as we enter another hurricane season this month, let’s all send out our most positive Karma to the Crescent City and all the cities, towns, hamlets, and whistle stops along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.

New Orleans is still rebuilding her infrastructure, her neighborhoods, her soul. Rosetree Glass Studios was “lucky” if you can call it that, in that their home and business was not flooded by Katrina. The Algiers section of the city where Rosetree calls home, was lashed by winds that stripped trees, ripped off roofs, and caused all manner of destruction, but without the standing water that inundated lower lying areas of the city, glass artist Mark Rosenbaum and his family were able to get back to work relatively soon after Katrina blew through.

When we talked with Mark in February, he introduced us to his remarkable glass pumpkins. He said he was inspired to create the colorful gourds by a hundred years old legend and the modern legend sparked by the hurricane of the century. Here’s how they go.

A legend is told of a magical occurrence three-hundred years or so ago. In the mysterious backwaters of the Barataria bayous in Louisiana, a crop of spectacular golden pumpkins was discovered. The valuable vegetation grew in the murky area that was believed to be the secret hiding place of ill-gotten pirate treasure. This incredible discovery remained a mystery until the present day.

After Hurricane Katrina, a new harvest of incredible pumpkins surfaced along the bayous. The pumpkins were not golden, but multi-colored in hues of purple, green, and gold. Experts have analyzed the phenomenon and have speculated that high concentrations of Mardi Gras beads and dubloons found deposited near the colorful treasures enhanced their growth.

Still a mystery, scientists have named them Curcubita Festivalis. Those lucky enough to own one call them "Mardi Gras Pumpkins"!

Mark’s pumpkins are thought to bring very good luck, but whether or not you adhere to the Louisiana bayou magic infused into the legends past and present, there is no denying the pumpkins are fantastic. We hope you like them as much as we do.

Anniversary gifts made easy at the Red Elephant Gallery

2009-05-20T10:13:00.011-05:00

We can always tell when the big wedding weekends are, or rather were. The indicator is not some scientific or statistical formula, intensive market research, or even a gut feeling. It’s sales receipts, and not sales receipts for wedding gifts, but specifically 7th anniversary gifts that fly out the door. How do we know they’re anniversary gifts you ask? Well the traditional gift for the 7th anniversary is copper and in some random way (as can only happen on the web) the Red Elephant Gallery has hit a niche with copper gifts. There are certain summer weeks when it seems that all we sell is copper--copper martini or wine glasses, copper ikabana, and copper sushi sets are very popular.

We never gave the traditional wedding gift process much thought until last June when it really worked out well for us. Just before our 11th wedding anniversary we had splurged on a new stainless steel grill for our small cruising sailboat. Yeah, not too sexy, but hey, we’re sailors. Michael’s mom, who loves to follow the traditional gift list saw it sitting in the trunk one day and started asking all kinds of strange questions about the material it was made of. Turns out that steel is the traditional gift for the 11th anniversary and all of a sudden that grill became both a gift for us, and a check off the to-do list for mom. Bonus for all!

So personally and professionally, anniversary gifts have worked out well for us. Maybe they’ll work out well for you too so we did the research and here is what we found. Traditionally lists like this go one through ten, but of course we included the 11th in our list! Looking through them it’s pretty crazy that diamond jewelry is 10th on the modern list. We don’t know many wives who want to wait 10 years for more diamonds! Honestly, the “today” list could probably have diamonds, or other valuable gemstones, every year, only growing in size as the years pass!

Have fun,
Karen & Michael

Traditional Modern
1st paper clocks
2nd cotton china
3rd leather crystal glass
4th fruit/flowers appliances
5th wood silverware
6th candy iron wood
7th wool/copper desk sets
8th bronze/pottery linen/lace
9th pottery/willow leather
10th tin/ aluminum diamond jewelry
11th steel fashion jewelry

Recycled Newspaper! Who knew it could be so cool!

2009-04-09T13:22:00.006-05:00

Here at the Red Elephant Gallery, we consider ourselves good stewards of the environment. We recycle the newspaper, boxes, bottles, and cans, turn down the heat when we’re gone, eschew air conditioning in general, and compost what we can. Hey, I’ve even been known to fetch the cardboard center of the tp roll from the wastebasket when one of the kids goes down the wrong path. Pretty good, right?

Well at this year’s Philadelphia Buyer’s market, where hundreds of artists show their wares to gallery owners and buyers from around the country, there were lots of recyclers and other greeners who put our efforts to shame. It was awesome to see what was being made with and from recycled and reused material in useable art.

We saw lots of pieces we liked but one artist’s work in particular that tickled our fancy is made by printers everywhere and one Californian, Ms. Dahli Coles. Ms. Coles laminates recycled newspapers, magazines and more with a durable, water-resistant finish then fashions this material into bags, wallets, pillows and other accessories. The final products are tough, softer than you’d imagine, and downright cool.

So what began as a school project at Cal State Northridge for Ms. Coles has morphed into her company, The News, and one of the latest and most fun product lines in the Red Elephant Gallery. Check out the National Geographic cover series, and the limited edition Obama inauguration bags. One of our favorites is the wine carrier, especially the double-one!
--Michael

New Handmade Ceramic Bird Feeders to celebrate National bird feeding month!

2009-02-25T08:33:00.005-05:00

Did you know that factors such as global warming, loss of habitat, and the increase of invasive species have led to a rapid decline in some typical backyard birds? For example the chickadee population in the United States has declined by 73% since 1973. Crazy huh? What can I do you ask? Well here are four easy and inexpensive things you can do to attract birds to your home and gardens.

1) Provide plants in your landscape plan appropriate for your area in which birds can rest and feed. Gardens in your yard are great but if you live in an urban setting container gardens (link to a container garden site) can work just as well.

2) Provide water for drinking and bathing.

3) Provide nesting materials and nest boxes in the springtime (some examples).

4) Provide bird feeders if possible during the winter months.

These suggestions don’t have to be expensive to do. Use your imagination and recycle something found at a yard sale or around the house…a wheel barrel, an old tub or sink can make a great container garden and a nice old bowl can provide water for your feathered friends. My kids love to put the lint from the dryer out in the spring. It provides nice soft bedding for a bird’s nest. This year we moved our Christmas tree, stand and all out too the porch to decorate with popcorn strings and edible ornaments.

If you do want something a bit nicer, we just added some new work to the Red Elephant Gallery that might just fit the bill. Our friends at Anthony Stoneware make beautiful ceramic bird feeders, birdbaths and nesting boxes. The small bird feeders are perfect for chickadees and are a great price too!

If you want to know more about birds and what you can do to help there is a bunch of fun info at Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology.

Red Elephant Gallery Heads to Buyer's Market of American Craft (BMAC)

2009-02-13T20:35:00.007-05:00

This new and hopefully temporary economy has brought home to the Red Elephant Gallery the wonderful, simple pleasures of life at a slower pace. Two kids and their friends run through the place all the time and living through their smiles, grins, pouts, temper tantrums, and innocence is one of our great joys. We’ve been sledding on local humps in the next town over rather than worrying about which weekend we might fight traffic to get to the ski hills up north. We’ve been hunting for wine bargains and simple eats to bring friends together for company and good conversation rather than heading to the movie theater or going out for an extravagant dinner we don’t want to pay for right now. Honestly, it’s been good to bring it all in closer where we can handle it just a little better.

This weekend we’re heading to the Philadelphia Buyer’s Market of American Craft (BMAC), an annual pilgrimage of all things arts and crafts. We’ll see friends made in past years and make friends we’ll follow for years to come. We will also be looking at what various artists have to offer in a new light. We’re going to focus a bit more on reused/reusable and recycled/recyclable pieces. There were some artists last year in this category and we already carry many products of the type, but we’re sure there will be many more this year. Artists whose creativity will blow us away, and artists whose simple, enduring style will leave us awestruck. We’re also going to be looking for pieces that make us comfortable, happy, optimistic, goofy—ones that make us love life, art, and simple joy.

There are hundreds of artists so we’re confident we’ll find greatness to share with you our gallery goers. When we’re back and the new pieces start arriving we’ll set up a section in the gallery of what’s new from Philly for you to see, discuss, enjoy, pine for and, if we’ve done our job well, purchase.

The economy is the economy and there’s little we can do about it but be patient, support the artists who put their heart and soul into their work, and hope we offer works that you’ll want to use in your home, during your next gathering of family or friends, or share as a gift with someone who means a lot to you.

---Michael

Just a quick note about Valentine’s Day. It’s this Saturday guys!!

2009-02-10T12:25:00.003-05:00

Anyways, I was driving to the airport this morning listening to Cat Country 98.1 and the DJ, Tim Leary, was talking about a dilemma he was trying to work through. Seems his associate, a young lady named Amanda, had let slip to him off the air what she wanted her boyfriend to get her for Valentine’s Day. Her boyfriend, however, had not a clue even though she’d been dropping hints for weeks.

Tim’s dilemma was whether he should be the boyfriend’s wingman, you know, guys stick together stuff, and tell him on the air what she wanted, or should he put a large price out there for Amanda to pay for his silence—yeah, blackmail.
Unfortunately I never found out the result as the airport trip was shorter than this drawn out dilemma, but I’m sure Tim, ever the country gent, kept his secret. I doubt he got the money either, even though many listeners were telling him to get the money, and then announce the gift anyway!! Yeah, they were guys.

I find it inconceivable that women of today do not understand that if they want something specific for Valentine’s Day hints are not going to get it. They shouldn’t expect them to. Since Hallmark invented Valentine’s Day men have forgotten to do anything or have done the completely wrong thing. Only in diamond ring commercials do we get it right.

So I’m here to fix it.
If you’re a lady reading this please email your significant other the link to the Red Elephant Gallery’s Valentine’s Day idea page. Although we may not have the exact thing you’re looking for--unless you tell him what it is you’re not going to get it anyway--everything we have is cool and even he will find something there you’ll like.

If you’re a guy reading this, get off the dime, there’s only a day or so left to get your significant other something she’ll really like from our site. Heck, if she doesn’t already know about us you will look heroic in finding such an interesting source of cool stuff for her now and in the future.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all. And honey, what was it you wanted again?

---Michael

Follow RedElephantGal on twitter

2009-02-03T12:58:00.011-05:00

Everyone seems to be talking about social networking. I really didn’t understand what all the chatter was about. After all, my idea of networking is face to face with a fat glass of red wine in hand and maybe some nice passed hors d'oeuvres. Never the less I was beginning to feel left out, so I made my New Years Resolution this year to begrudgingly give it a shot.

I decided to start with twitter, I must admit that the 140 character limit was the main appeal (pathetic huh). Honestly writing isn’t my forte and between this blog, marketing materials and the text for Red Elephant Gallery, there are some days I feel that is ALL I do. Back to twitter, I create an account and presto, chango I am now RedElephantGal! Fast forward 1 week......

Well…I have to admit it’s kind of fun. To the point I find myself eager to log on in the morning to see how many new followers I have and what all my new found friends are up to. I can see how this can become a bit addicting, not to mention a complete time suck. It has only been a week but I can already see I might even have to set the timer like I do to limit the kids Wii time.

So come follow me on twitter!

I’m off to tackle FaceBook…I hear I can dig up lots of relics from my past. Although, I'm still not convinced that's really a good idea!

Would American Craft, Music or the Visual Arts Benefit from a Cabinet Level Arts Post?

2009-01-26T23:46:00.000-05:00

We're not big on clambering atop the political bandwagon as far as sharing our beliefs with our gallery goers is considered . . . and we're not starting now. But dang if inauguration day wasn't one of the coolest, most awe-inspiring days in recent American history, even not-so-recent. Regardless of your political views, party affiliations and the like, the activities surrounding inauguration day and the inauguration itself created the feeling that a breath of fresh air has blown through this country and maybe there's light at the end of the tunnel of bad feelings and depression. It's a long tunnel, admittedly, and we all have a lot of work to do to get this country and this economy back on track, but hey, we know how to work hard, we just need a little direction right?

One topic that has resurfaced in the past months and come to the fore recently is the creation of a cabinet-level position focused on the arts. The idea has been around since the 50s, but recently composer and producer Quincy Jones has started an online petition to ask President Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts stating it is needed to signify the importance of the arts in society and especially in education. According to some sources, over 100,000 people have signed this petition.

But is a central government agency the best way to support the arts in our schools and society? That's the question that is out there to be discussed, argued, and bandied about over wine throughout the arts, education, and parenting communities. While no one contests the idea that more art is needed in our schools, since study upon study have shown over and over that visual art and music programs in school improve test scores and increase creative problem solving abilities the question is how best to argue the point where it may matter most, in Washington DC.

We're not advocating a plan of action, but came across the original Quincy Jones proposal and an opposing editorial in the Wall Street Journal that opened our eyes even wider to this issue. We hope you'll take the time to follow the links below to educate yourself about this fascinating discussion on how we should move forward toward a goal that we all agree on but might support very different paths to achieving.

Click on this link to see and, if you agree, Sign the Petition.

Click to read David Smith's Wall Street Journal article "An Old, Bad Idea for the Arts"

To bring it back down to the local level, remember that whatever the movers and shakers in the national arts community and the government decide, we can work within our area school systems to support the arts in ways that may not be obvious, but once determined can work really well. For example, here at the Red Elephant Gallery we helped initiate an Arts Docent program, based on one in Washington State in our children's elementary school. It's a bit of work but with parents and friends volunteering to help with individual classroom sessions it's been fun for us, the kids, and the volunteers.

New Art Glass, Recycled Art, Pottery and Handcrafted Jewelry in 2009!

2009-01-12T14:09:00.003-05:00

The kids are FINALLY back to school (oh I remember the days when I thought a two-week vacation proceeded by a snow day was a good idea! ) and I've had a few days to reflect on the 2008 holiday season and think about the gallery in 2009. This is always a fun time of year. It’s buying season! Of course we have already done some of our inventory picks for the year but I always like to wait and see what sold and was requested during the holidays to make room for some last minute changes.

In keeping with our commitment to sustainability we continue to keep and add more recycled/green products. John Cook’s recycled fish were a hit over the holidays so we will be looking at more of his recycled glass creations as well as adding works from our old favorites Fire and Light, and Smart Glass.

Also on our list for this year is to expand our line of art glass perfume bottles (we are currently out!) and garden art. On the technology side, we are planning to tweak the website a bit to make it easier to shop by category rather than just by artist.

And along with the rest of the world, we’ve just added a new specials / sale section. Most of these pieces are from artists from whom we have limited inventory remaining. Every year we “retire a few artists” to make room to feature a few more. It is always sad to do this because we become friends over the years but we realize it has to be done.

So keep checking back to see what is new as we'll be adding new artists and new creations from our existing artists over the next month. Our goal is to make the Red Elephant Gallery the first place you look for unique, usable, hand crafted gifts for your friends and family, and of course, yourself.

Our little Art Glass Adventure

2009-01-05T12:57:00.004-05:00

School holiday vacation was two weeks long this year. Two WEEKS! We love our kids as much as anyone but with dad taking time off from work and the kids around all day, the house got mighty small in a hurry. One of the great things we did to get out together was to take the kids to see the glass exhibit at Rhode Island School of Design’s new Chace Center. Our youngest is the little glass hound in the family. He is always the first to unpack the boxes when they arrive at the studio, always poking around asking questions when things are being photographed. He’s been like that ever since I can remember. He was 2 when we opened the Red Elephant Gallery. Today he’s the one that unpacks, counts and sorts the Christmas ornaments when they arrive during the summer. He does pretty well for a 6-year-old and has yet to break a piece (more than I can say for his mother). Anyway, I thought it would be fun for them to see the large scale glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly and there is one other piece in particular I thought the little guy should see. We have a book by glass artist Dan Dailey called the Glassigator. It is a children’s book that describes the glass blowing process through the blowing a glass alligator head. There is a glass alligator head by Dan Dailey (not sure if it is really titled “the glassigator”) in this Glass exhibit at the Chace Center. Anyway it was really fun for him to see his story book come to life and we had a good time picking out the differences between the glassigator in the book and the one in the exhibit.

Visiting the many, varied, and wonderful museums in the Northeast and down to Washington, D.C. has become one of the best ways to spend some time with our kids. Any size or subject but we're passionate for the more artsy! And If you have a little one who likes glass or understanding how things are made I highly recommend "The Glassigator" published by the Toledo Museum of Art.

YogaGoat Pottery - New for your Trunk at Red Elephant Gallery!

2008-10-27T10:11:00.004-05:00

A couple of friends and I were in Manhattan the end of September with a compact list of places to go during the short time we had. The new Museum of Art and Design at 2 Columbus Circle had finally opened and it was at the top of our list. Unfortunately we hadn’t planned far enough ahead so there was no way we were getting in to see the new facility but once the crowds cleared I was able to get a peak into the museum store. There, among all the gorgeous art glass, clay, wood and metal sat a beautiful red hyacinth bowl from YogaGoat Pottery.

Even though it would have stood out had I not been familiar with Amanda Ryznar’s work, we started carrying YogaGoat Pottery this summer, seeing it in this prestigious venue was a nice surprise. We first met Amanda this spring and once we saw what she was doing with bowls, plates, platters, and beautiful handcrafted vases—the exquisite design, the unique color, and the enticing texture – we knew we had to offer her functional handmade pottery to our customers. Here’s how Amanda explains the process:

First, the pieces are thrown on the wheel, either from white stoneware or porcelain. Any trimming is done, and attachments such as handles made, when the piece is "leather-hard". The colored slips are also applied at this stage. When the slips dry a little, Amanda draws through the slip down to the clay underneath. The excess slip is carved away. The piece is fired to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, then coated in a clear glaze and fired again to 2380 degrees.

The process is rigorous, but the results are simply gorgeous. Please have a look at our YogaGoat inventory then try to decide which piece is your favorite. It’s excellent work and we hope you enjoy it.

Unique Gift ideas for this holiday season

2008-10-23T09:49:00.002-05:00

We headed out to a show in Connecticut just as the sun was coming up over the river near our house. I put the mini-van in drive and pulled forward out of the driveway for three feet then stopped. I couldn’t see a thing. What I thought was dew on the windshield was in fact frost. The scraping windshield wipers’ telltale winter’s sound burrowed into my psyche that we are heading for winter here in the Northeast and it’s time to get prepared both physically and mentally.

The frost was gone in a few minutes time under pressure from the de-froster (clever name that) and we were on our way. But the frost started me thinking about Christmas and the timing of gift-buying. I am a practicing procrastinator so for me to be thinking about Christmas gifts before Halloween, is unheard of. The fact remains, however, that I was thinking about Christmas gifts as we unloaded our wares in New London. We bring a pretty good sample of what we have to offer to shows such as these and yes, the selection included great Christmas gifts.

Ornaments: We’ve got amazing ornaments from blown glass to ceramic. From see-through to opaque. From small to large. Click here and take a look!

Banks: These aren’t just any banks, these are the coolest, cutest, ceramic banks ever. Hippos, sheep, dinosaurs, aardvarks, and yes, of course, piggies.

Sushi sets: We have ceramic and glass versions of this popular gift item. They are cool and quite unique being individually handmade.

These are just a small sample of what’s available at the Red Elephant Gallery for you to buy for your family and friends this holiday season. We hope to see you on the site.

Art Glass Pumpkins – Art and agriculture on my mind

2008-09-29T10:18:00.008-05:00

In my other life I go to a lot of boat shows. Every fall the classic United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, calls it’s swan song to those of us in the marine biz and we all trek to the shores of Chesapeake Bay and one of the cutest little towns anywhere. Problem is, almost every year this show happens the week the fall leaves are at their best color in the mountains of northern New England. Never fails.

When I get home after Columbus Day my only consolation is that I can usually make the local pumpkin weigh-in at Frerich’s Farm in Swansea, MA. There are some BIG pumpkins, in the field when I get there, trucked in from all over. Seriously big--hundreds of pounds. Huge. To grow one of these behemoths requires creativity, patience, skill, and innate pumpkin knowledge. To win, well, that’s just way too much pumpkin know-how to even consider with a big dash of luck thrown in for good measure.

But what in the heck does this have to do with the Red Elephant Gallery other than our family makes up part of the weigh-in audience? Not a lot, but something important. Artists, whether they grow pumpkins or blow art glass, are in constant evolution from where they began through where they are in their craft, to where they’ll end up. When we check in with them at a particular time and place, they are somewhere along that evolutionary trail and the fact is we don’t know where. That’s the fascination. How does one person gain so much knowledge that they can grow a thousand-pounder or caress molten silica into something as glorious as Luke Adams’ under-a-pound art glass pumpkins,. What life events brought them to this point? How will they evolve?

As much thought as I’ve put into the behemoths in Massachusetts I’ve put into the fine detail of the delicate specimen on our windowsill. I stare at Luke’s work and wonder how he came to be in the place that he is and how lucky we are to be in the right place and time to enjoy it. How does he do what he does? I don’t know. It’s magic for all I care. Fascinating, beautiful magic.

So do hit the link above and check out his work. And if pumpkins aren’t your thing, they’re not all he does. But take some time with the pumpkins this fall. They’re very cool.

--Michael

Three pandas, some rockets and a bit of Modern Art

2008-04-25T09:45:00.002-05:00

I love family trips . . . driving trips . . . long-distance family driving trips. My wife thinks I’m nuts. The kids aren’t sure yet.

Last week was spring vacation and the littlest one has always wanted to meet Tai Shan, the young Panda born at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. He watched a movie on the web from the panda cam in Mei Xiang’s pen of Tai Shan being born as did the rest of us. We’ve all become quite the baby panda fans around here so it was time to go meet him. That’s 10 hours in a car. I was psyched, the rest less so. We did the trip, had some fun, had some fits, and all-in-all survived in good fashion. And Yeah, Tai Shan is pretty amazing.

Washington DC is simply a fantastic city. There are innumerable museums, parks, monuments, and all sorts of activities for an active, inquisitive family. We did a lot, but the most unlikely place we visited was the east wing … not of the white house, but of the National Gallery.

We’d pretty much done the Air and Space museum, oohing and aahing over rockets, spaceships, airplanes, and more rockets and spaceships. The boys were in boy heaven! Heck, so was I! Of course you can’t get through everything in the museum in even a week, but there’s only so much we could absorb at one visit. The boys were satiated, so we asked mom what she wanted to do next. Oops.

The only place that mom wanted to see before we left Washington was something called the east wing of somewhere. Never really did get the name right before we got there. As we walked across the mall, stopping to watch a way-too-serious adult kickball game and take pictures in front of the Capitol building, she told me we were headed for the east wing of the National Gallery, the modern art repository. MODERN ART. The only modern art I thought I needed to know about was 7 white painted panels I’d seen at the Hirshhorn Museum, the Smithsonian's museum of international modern and contemporary art many years before. I know I’ve painted walls that were more intriguing than those panels and I’d subsequently sworn off most modern art. Of course I was wrong. I often am.

We studied some fantastic mobiles both very large and quite small and a great Roy Lichtenstein of Donald Duck catching his own shorts with a fishing rod. There were also a Warhol Campbell’s soup can painting, and a great Jackson Pollock. Upstairs was a room full of very interesting Picasso’s and we just missed the Matisse exhibit that had closed for the day. The boys already knew these artists’ names and had seen their works in books Karen had showed them. It was fascinating for me to watch my kids see with their own eyes what they had previously only seen in books and for that matter on the web. It was a great experience for all of us.

Going to Washington last week reminded me that there’s only one way to see the Tai Shans, Andy Warhols, Washington Monuments, and White House’s of the country. Just Go. Take the trip. They’re waiting for you.

And what does this have to do with the Red Elephant Gallery you ask? Not much other than whatever you order from us was created by an artist and will look and feel even better in person. Don’t wait, order today.

Shayla Su: Decorative Ceramic Handbags

2008-03-25T09:21:00.005-05:00

Shayla Su is a really cool artist. Her medium is ceramics and we have completely fallen for her hand-built handbags. She says she was inspired to create them while walking the streets of Venice seeing handbags there she could not bring home. In her words . . .

“When we visited the ancient city of Venice, Italy, in 2003, it was with the intention to view its art and architecture. Instead, I became enthralled by the myriad handbags displayed so opulently in Venice's shops – their sculptural nature was a revelation. Since I couldn’t take them all home with me, I found a lasting way to bring their beauty into my life.”

When we were in Venice last Spring the art scene became completely overwhelming for us. We were really following the glass path, but handbags did come into focus for Karen. It took us until we got to Florence, however, for her to find the one she wanted to bring home. I kept telling her she could have only one, not the hundreds we saw, which was always a difficult conversation. Suffice it to say I spent a lot of time in Italy on the couch. Just kidding. Anyways . . .

Back to Shayla Su. She has a little one running around her house and has therefore been on maternity leave for some time now. This recently created a dilemma for us as we want to sell her handbags but she isn’t planning to make anymore anytime soon. After a brief discussion amongst the principals at the Red Elephant Gallery, we decided to jump in and pretty much bought her inventory. They really look fantastic so please visit Shayla Su’s portion of our site for your share of exquisite colors in the handbags we have.

Red Elephant Gallery finds new Ceramics, Art Glass and Handmade Jewelry at BMAC

2008-02-27T10:15:00.008-05:00

Philadelphia Buyer’s Market of American Craft (BMAC), next year we’re actually going to wear the running shoes, not just talk about it!

There is nothing quite like the Buyer’s Market we attended last weekend organized by the creators of Niche and American Style magazines. We walked for two days straight and still didn’t get to see every artist’s work. But we did see some amazing work and slowly but surely some of it will be coming “home” to the Red Elephant Gallery for you to see and, if you like, buy for you, your home, or as a gift.

We attack the market each year with a plan that nearly immediately is tossed aside as we wander wide-eyed down the aisles. We know what we need to fill in our inventory and the rest just cannot be programmed. This is a heartfelt personal industry. The pieces we saw each represents an artist’s passion and talent so picking them based on some pre-thought list of needs borders on the ridiculous. We buy what speaks to us and we hope will speak to you. We buy from artists we like both personally and through their work. We are relationship buyers at the Red Elephant Gallery and it’s these relationships we will be sharing with you.

One of the stronger themes of this year’s buyer’s market was environmental art of all types. This isn’t the traditional meaning of environment in art, as in of a certain environment, but honest to goodness, don’t harm the planet, let’s hug a tree environmentalism. From recycled glass formed into pieces to pieces made from bottles before they hit the recycling plant. From recycled stainless and aluminum pieces to once again, pieces of stainless and aluminum captured pre-recycling plant post consumer usage, formed into truly amazing art. It was phenomenal to see the variety of work in this fast growing genre and you’ll be seeing a good selection coming to the gallery soon to augment what we already have in Willyware and Sea Stones.

So it was a fantastic weekend of strengthening existing friendships, making new friends, and perusing what must be the most amazing buyer’s show in the country. There’s passion, talent, desire, and patience evident in all the artists’ work and we can’t wait to bring the best to you in the coming months.

New for your trunk: Handmade gifts from Sea Stones

2007-11-20T09:28:00.000-05:00

Christmas shopping season is nearly upon us, what with “Black Friday” less than a week away. So here at the Red Elephant Gallery we want to take the worry and fuss out of your holiday season shopping routine and have many great gifts in our inventory for loved ones and friends. We wrap and ship, you gain good Karma points.

One of the coolest gifts we’ve found is so simple it certainly falls under the heading of why didn’t I think of that. We are always looking for big sturdy wall hooks for our kids and us to hang their coats, scarves, umbrellas, and even the kids themselves some days, and we live in coastal New England where throwing rocks into rivers and the ocean is a bona fide sport. So why didn’t we see the rocks for what they really are . . . wall hooks. D’Oh!

Sea Stones, a company near us, takes the beautiful rocks that Mother Nature has turned from rough and chunky to smooth and silky and mounts them to sustainably harvested hardwood backing plates. These stones, gently rounded through years of rolling in the rivers and oceans of New England, are carefully selected for their shape, texture, and color. In the spirit of conservation the artists at Sea Stones replace each selected stone with one from a local quarry, which is their stone “planting” program. Additionally, they plant 10 times the number of trees used for the back plates each year.

Sea Stones also makes beautiful cherry clocks and their wine stoppers make great stocking stuffers or housewarming gifts!

Unique Handmade Secret Sister Gifts

2007-11-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for something special for your secret sister, (secret pal, friend or even secret Santa) then you have come to the right place. The Red Elephant Gallery has a great selection of Unique Handmade Secret Sister Gifts. We’ve highlighted a few items that have been popular and we make the process of secret gift giving easy!

One of our most popular girlfriend gifts is the interchangeable marble necklace from Studio 220. It comes with a bag of thirty marbles that can switch out to match any outfit! The Love and Peace Bracelets from Sergio Lub are also best sellers. If your secret sister needs a laugh or you want to thank her for all the support she has provided maybe one of our “Flying Buttress” rattles by J. Davis Studio will do the trick. You can also send along a bit of love and environmental consciousness with the recycled glass heart from Fire and Light.

When you get to the checkout section of your order just write in the comments section that your gift is for a secret friend and we’ll make sure we don’t include your name or billing information in the package! If you would like us to include a message for your secret friend just enter that in the comments field as well. Don’t worry your identity is safe with us. Put your information in the “Billing address” and your secret sister/friend’s information in the “Shipping information” section and we’ll do the rest – it’s that easy!

Ceramic Artist Liz Kinder has a new baby girl!

2007-11-07T12:57:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite ceramic artists, Liz Kinder, brought a new little ball of inspiration into her world on Halloween. "She's here! Her name is Elizabeth and she was 7lb. 2oz. and 19.75 inches, Liz wrote us today. "I'm so excited to get in to the studio tomorrow. It will be so nice to make stuff without a basketball on my stomach. I'll just have to stop every couple of hours to feed the baby!"

Liz makes beautiful ceramic bowls that we have a hard time keeping in stock. So we're excited she's going back into the studio too!

Random gifting is its own reward

2007-10-23T19:46:00.000-05:00

I’m not a very good gift-giver. Being a guy, being so busy, being, I don’t know, name your silly excuse, I’ve never been very good at random gifting. If I know your birthday’s coming or a big anniversary I’m all over it. It’s the little stuff that really means a lot that I mostly miss out on. But, I’m getting better.

Here’s an example. There’s a woman with whom I’ve worked for a number of years. She’s funny, works hard and accurately, and saves my sorry butt on a monthly basis. She gets paid to do her job, sure, but keeping a sunny attitude and desire to do good all in the midst of publishing deadlines for multiple monthly magazines is pretty admirable. Basically, she’s the best and I tell her so. Maybe that’s enough, and I thought so.

Then one week I traveled to our home office and met with a team of people who also do a very good job in the face of goofy clients. These women chase the money that’s owed us and help to put the magazines together every month. They’re solid. I bought them some beer. Well heck, you’d have thought I gave them a key to the universe. Maybe not that, but my tiny extra bit of “gifting” in the form of a couple of glasses of barley and hops, showed them that I actually care a bit and our relationships have grown even stronger both professionally and personally. Fantastic.

So back to my office. I return from my trip determined to do something special for my co-worker and butt-saver. Drink and food are not the answer here so I hit the red elephant gallery and found her the perfect pair of earrings. Simple Kim Caisse Ocean Wigglies looked to fill the bill. They’re inexpensive but not cheap at all, just simple and cool. The cool factor and the color were the strong selling points.

The Red Elephant team boxed them up with their cool, funky ribbon and that great little elephant and I brought them to my co-worker. I didn’t want to make a big fuss, but wanted her to know that she meant a lot to me so I thought of dropping them on her desk with a card, or asking her into my office . . . . What happened was perfect, we happened to arrive at the office at the same time and as we were walking from the parking lot, I pulled the box out of my shoulder bag and handed them over with a simple explanation of thanks. She was surprised and very thankful. Later, after she’d opened them, she told me they were perfect. I glowed inside.

Giving is a tremendous “up” psychologically. There are studies I’m sure that prove that some enzyme or group of cells are stimulated by gifting giving. I also know that office gifting can be a bit touchy in the new politically correct world. But you know what, I don’t care what it is physically, or whether it’s PC or not, giving someone you appreciate a random gift is one of the coolest, best-feeling things you can do so do it soon.

I suggest Mondays. What a great way to start off the week for the both of you!

Michael Tamulaites

“Flying Buttress” Rattles from J. Davis Studio - Sometimes you just have to laugh.

2007-09-20T11:10:00.001-05:00

There are many different factors to consider when shopping for the Red Elephant Gallery. Is the work exciting and creative, is it by a new or established artist, does it fit into one of the categories we focus on – Glass, Ceramics or Handcrafted Jewelry. While all of those are important things to consider in operating a profitable business, sometimes the reason to add an artist is somewhat less tangible. For instance, I know that if we decide not to purchase something but I am still thinking about the artist weeks or months later there was something special about the work and we just take the risk and add that artist. This was the case with the handcrafted jewelry by Willy Scholten of WillyWare. I had seen her collection at the Buyers Market but we were already over budget (no surprise) so we ooohed and aaaaahed but walked away empty handed. But I kept thinking about how ingenious it was to create jewelry out of materials that Silicon Valley discards every day and how gorgeous the pieces looked as jewelry. The next show she was one of the first new artists to be added to the gallery.

Also, it is rare that I will walk away from something that makes me burst out laughing…hence the addition of the “Flying Buttress” ceramic rattles from J. Davis Studio. Those little cellulite filled butts just made me laugh. So I bought them on the spot, no thought what so ever about the budget or if someone else would actually buy them. I didn’t really care. The fact that my girlfriends and I got to share a bottle of wine and many laughs while naming the little ladies was just icing on the cake.

Hope they make you laugh too!

Fused Glass tableware by Sarah Hirneisen of Mediums to Masses added to Red Elephant Gallery

2007-09-11T10:21:00.000-05:00

Mediums to Masses glass tableware is designed and handcrafted by Sarah Hirneisen in her California Studio. Sarah received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Rhode Island School of Design with a concentration in glass. She also studied at the Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass and the Rochester Institute of Technology. She has worked with glass for over 10 years for a variety of glass studios in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and California before opening her own glass studio in 2005.

Sarah combines her love of glass with that of textiles to create her unique line of tableware. Vintage fabric patterns are hand silk-screened onto each glass piece using ground up glass enamel in a multi-step process Sarah developed. The resulting works give the fabric patterns a second life while creating a juxtaposition of vintage with modern.

When we saw Sarah's work we knew we had to carry it at the Red Elephant Gallery. The Sushi set was what first caught my eye. It is such a fabulous shade of mint green it reminded me of the old (now considered retro) serving pieces my mother used to have.

Handmade jewelry offered as fundraiser for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

2007-07-22T06:39:00.000-05:00

Red Elephant Gallery offers "Pebble Series" of handmade jewelry by Newport Artist Kathie Narcizo as Fundraiser for Leukemia Cup Regatta in Rhode Island

Aug 16, 2007 - Bristol, Rhode Island –

We lost a friend to Leukemia 11 years ago and since then we've supported the Leukemia Cup Regatta held in August on Narragansett Bay in various ways. This year we've selected some of our favorite jewelry pieces to entice you to help. These pieces are from the "pebble series" created by Rhode Island artist Kathy Narcizo. She sculpts each pebble by knitting an individual silver strand to its finished size, pulling it out, and pressing it between two large stones to create the unique textured appearance. The work is painstaking but the results are well worth the effort!

Here's how you can help! Each of the pieces shown in the photo, is available in our gallery. We will donate 20% of the purchase price of each piece bought before October 1, 2007, directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Thank you!

Karen & Michael, Red Elephant Gallery

Website: http://redelephantgallery.com/
Phone: 1-888-973-3353
Email: Karen@redelephantgallery.com

Searching for Hand Blown Art Glass in Venice

2007-07-05T14:15:00.000-05:00

The Red Elephant Gallery research team, namely the two of us, recently spent some time in Italy on vacation. Fact is, however, whenever we go on “vacation” we seem to spend a considerable amount of time visiting crafts people and studios in the areas we visit. If you’re romantic, we are, and if you’re in Italy, which we were, you have to visit Venice. It’s just not possible to miss this fantastic artistic city that seems determined to sink into the marshes from whence it came. There is nothing like a city of such history, such vitality through the ages, with amazing surprises at every corner to extract every last bit of culture out of you. And there are no cars, no bicycles, no mopeds, no Harley Davidsons with straight pipes, no skateboards, or scooters. In fact there are very few wheels to be seen anywhere as there is a canal to cross, a bridge to traverse every 100 feet or so which leaves walking and riding boats. Venice is a city of perfect pace ranging, from quiet contemplation to outrageous bursts of creativity.

This creativity is expressed through many media, but the one that is closest to our hearts is glasswork. The galleries and shops in Venice parlay an unending variety of glass, which is created on the nearby island of Murano. Yes, the Murano that inspired the Nissan SUV but more importantly the Murano that creates amazing hand blown glass that is shipped to galleries stores and homes around the world. Murano is reached by vaporetto, the city “buses” that are actually 40-foot passenger boats. The ride out is nice but when you land, actually crash into the steel dock, the amazement begins. There is a lot of hype in the travel and art world, but Murano is the real deal. The level of variety and quantity of production is simply head-spinning. We’ve seen a lot of glass in our time at galleries and shows throughout the US, but this was over the top. And to think it all starts its journey away from Murano on a 20-foot DHL delivery boat.

For me the most amazing pieces were the chandeliers. Although most of them weren’t really my taste and were totally inappropriate for our little home in Bristol you have to appreciate the work and sheer number of pieces of glass that go into each chandelier. There was everything from modern to enormous "how the heck did they get that thing up there” pieces that look like something straight from the movie Marie Antoinette (if you haven't seen this you should!)

On balance, however, despite the sheer number of styles and sizes of every type of blown and hand built glass we saw, at the end of the day I get more satisfaction from visiting the smaller glass studios of the artists we carry in the Red Elephant Gallery. The pieces that caught my eye in Venice reminded me of the artists we work with and admire here. In fact it was hard to find something I loved that I knew I wouldn't be able to find at home. I said hard, but certainly not impossible. In one section of Venice we visited a number of times we found a glass gallery owned by the artist and his wife with whom we spent a lot of time talking and learning. They also have a factory in Murano*. I found a pendant he’d designed with Murrini's in gorgeous colors that I just had to have. It’s similar in style to one of my favorite glass artist's in our gallery, Elodie Holmes, but I’m sure that just like our relationships with artists here the human connection made the piece all the more special. We understand this to be true for our customers as well, which is why on our site we identify all the artists and package each piece with an artist’s card that gives you a bit of detail about the piece’s maker.

Italy was a vacation in the end but what we learned in Venice will carry through our work here at the Red Elephant Gallery. The beauty, the pace, and the aura of Venice need to be experienced firsthand and our lives are far richer for the time we spent there.

Handmade Jewelry by artist Ann Hynes makes a great Mother's Day gift!

2007-04-25T10:21:00.000-05:00

My mother was just visiting this past week and I hadn't seen her in a while. It was good to catch up and watch her spend time with her two grandsons. In the constant friendly battle between my sister and me for our mother's affection for our children I've decided to buy a locket for my mom for Mother's Day and put my kids' pictures in it. You see the Modern Locket has two sides and two sides only. There is no room there for my sister's brood!

For my mother this is the perfect gift. Not so for yours you say. Just click on the Mother's Day link you've just read and you'll find yourself amid a glorious selection of possible Mother's Day gift ideas brought to you by the Red Elephant Gallery. These are great gifts for any day and you may even find something for yourself.

So back to the locket that my mother will soon be wearing at my sister's house. Beyond the fact that it has just what I need as far as numbers of images, it's a truly wonderful piece. Designed and made by Ann Hynes, the Modern Locket is individually handcrafted with recycled glass, lead free pewter solder, sterling silver wire and in some cases freshwater pearls. The patterns in the metal are hand-etched and then polished to a rich shine. No two lockets are exactly the same making each an original piece. The Modern Locket is funky, functional and easy to use and is available in bracelet, necklace or pin form!