Category Archives: personal

7 things with lots of links

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this is my 900th post- wow… that’s a lot for someone who used to consider herself writing phobic.

Kerry tagged me a while back for 7 random things. These will be Very random and a bit rambling.

1. Pie makes me think of Mary. I made that one last night.

2. If I make a doll and it makes me think of one of Rosa’s daughters, I feel like it is a success!

3. This is one of my brothers. And this is another. This is my husband. This is my husbands’ brother. My daughter works here.

4. I bought this book by Ruth Singer from AmazonUK. The exchange rate has flipped and now I feel like I got a great deal by going through a UK site. The book is beautiful. I will probably post more about it on another day.

5. I love the internet. Ebay was my entry drug. The craft/art blog community and Flickr are at the top of my love list. I am liking Twitter but still getting used to it. I am still not clear on how Facebook fits into my life. Etsy works for me.

6. I did one of these memes a while back. That star I mentioned? Here it is-

7. This makes me incredibly sad. I have been involved with blogs- reading, commenting, writing- for about 5 years now. I have read about new houses, sicknesses, babies born, pregnancies lost, marriages and divorces, and sometimes it seems that someone just disappears. This is the first time I have felt connected to someone going into hospice. And the odd thing is, I have been a lurker for all the years I’ve watched her amazing drawings go by. Maybe I commented once. But, I still feel like I know her in a way. Her artwork touched me. I teared up when I read this post.

I will try to tag some people soon- right now I feel exhausted just doing this!

voting day

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I voted this morning. There was about a 15 minute wait and lots of excited energy. There were many newbies- people who didn’t know where to go. People in the wrong place. Everyone was cheerful and helpful.

It was a beautiful day today. Ben and I decided to take a vacation day and get away from the election until we might actually be able to hear some results. We drove down to a beach in Rhode Island.

I took off my shoes and walked in the sand. I put my feet in the ocean- brrr! I thought about feet memories versus head memories.

We went over to Quonochontaug Pond where we used to rent a cottage when the kids were little. 

Tonight will be spent watching red and blue patches fill in on media maps. It will be such a relief to have this election finished and decided. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to settle down and get back to work- because that is how I’ve been feeling- unsettled. These girls are waiting for me to finish them up-

My daughter is going to the Obama event in Chicago- I will be very interested to hear her experience- sounds exciting and maybe a little scary!

oh, oh, oh… a very exciting week!

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I have had a very exciting week. Lots of great stuff going on that resulted in me not spending enough time in the studio. Although that was more about me being distracted as opposed to being out and about.

You know Craft Magazine? Hee hee- I’m in it!

This is what it actually looks like when I open it-

hence the action shot above. Diane and Rachael did an amazing job on the article- I am so proud to be part of it.

Another exciting thing… I got a request for some hi-res images for a project (one more exciting thing that I will tell you about when there is more information) and that made me realize how totally inadequate my camera is for many fun things I’d like to do. I spent tons of time on Amazon, looking at many, many cameras. I went from thinking I’d buy this one (Canon A590IS) for $115 plus or minus to knowing I NEEDED this one (Canon G10) for $500. How does this happen?! I went down to Harvard Square this morning to see if I could find a copy of Craft Magazine. While I was there, I thought I’d go to a camera store and see if they had a G10 in stock that I could touch. Well, sure enough, they not only had it, it was on sale. I’ve got a new Baby! I’m just doing my part to help with the US economic crisis- hee!

a third exciting thing- new threads-

Yesterday I spent more hours then I thought possible picking out beautiful threads. These are danish flower cotton and I also got crewel embroidery wool. I am so grateful to receive such bounty. When I am given a gift like this, I feel it is my duty to make something beautiful from it- my way of saying thank you. This was my haul 2 years ago. I have enjoyed my bounty every time I have opened my drawer full of color!

There is other stuff too… not ready to be posted about though.  So many distractions! I will leave you with a flower photo taken with my new camera.

black eye

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I’m not totally sure where this one came from. It was in the brain somewhere and I was taking a walk and saw a boy in the distance that I thought had a black eye. And then I did a sketch.

Somehow the idea of a wool bruise. I had to do it.

He doesn’t look like a fighting kind of guy. Probably more like me. I can remember having a black eye twice in my childhood. They were both the result of balls hitting me in the face. Geesh, I hated games where people were throwing (dodgeball) or kicking (kickball) balls that might and sometimes did hit me in the face- since I seemed to be totally unable to catch them.

I’m going to make another with a few tweaks. This is my first boy (versus man) doll.

the story thing…

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I am going to explain why I don’t write stories for my dolls, but first-

sometimes I go away for a day or two and it’s hard to get back to the blog. I am in the middle of an ocean of wip’s right now, so nothing really to post. Just a lot of potential…

The post has to have a photo though- I received an email last week asking if I was the M. Kirchner who made the mugs in the photo attached to said email. Asking if I was still making them. Her mom collected them and she wanted to continue the collection- it was wonderful to know that the old work is cherished.

Many people have suggested that I write stories or bios for my dolls. Many other doll artists do this and do it very well. This is why I don’t.

1. When I was a senior in art school, I was finishing up a ceramic sculpture. Someone came over to look at it and started describing what they thought was going on in the piece, what they thought the story was. I was amazed at the richness of their narrative- much better then I could do. I realized that, left to their own imagination, viewers would come up with much more interesting stories then I every could and they enjoyed doing it.

2. When I made functional pottery, I pictured the user contemplating the images on their coffee cup or cereal bowl. The image might draw them into their own fantasy world (away from the real world) and inspire different stories each morning. I hoped to make a world in bowl- or at least a little vignette.

3. A few years ago I bought a doll from someone who wrote rich and wonderful bios of her creations. I did not see the bio before I received the doll. When I read it, I was taken aback. I’m not quite sure how to say this- I didn’t like her (the doll) from her description… I mean, I liked the doll itself- just not how she was described in the story… I thought- I would never be friends with this person- she would totally intimidate me in real life. She was smarter, more popular, more accomplished… I don’t know- the kind of person that I feel completely overwhelmed by. That certainly clarified the issue for me-no stories.  Resolve is easy when you don’t want to do it anyway!

I want to make characters that will inspire peoples imaginations- viewers will come up with their own stories. The dolls will be a catalyst for the imagination. No static story lines. I absolutely LOVE when people tell me who they think my dolls are- it always makes me feel successful when my work creates a spark.

I don’t want to sound like I have anything against other people writing up stories for their work- it just isn’t what I want to do.

this and that…

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I’ve been having a very social week- unusual for me. It is connected to the new school year although no one in my house is affected by that- first time in more years then I can remember. It is just one of those new month/year things- I need to connect with people I haven’t seen in a while.

I went over to see a friend to talk about studio design… I am probably going to be moving my studio so I am working on the fantasy planning stage- ie looking at other peoples’ spaces, online and in person. She has a lot of my art from the old pottery days. It was fun to see it hanging at her house-

She also had this amazing bit of advertising ephemera. It is a TIME magazine ad from November 1955 for Simplicity patterns. Can you imagine a sewing pattern company advertising in such a mainstream magazine now? Anyway- great Steinberg drawing, so funny text. If you can’t read it, you can check it out here on Flickr- click all sizes.

Last night I went up to Portsmouth, NH with Abby, for the opening of the Teeny Tiny Art Show at the Three Graces Gallery. Wow! Portsmouth is a happening place on the first Friday opening night. Here are Abby’s beautiful birds-

We also got to see Elsa‘s amazing paper cuts. I don’t think there is any way I could get an idea of the delicacy of these pieces without seeing them in person. I’m in awe.

Today, we are waiting for Tropical Storm Hanna to visit. It is very humid.

Thanks everybody!

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Thanks to everyone who joined in on my Happy Birthday giveaway- you all made my birthday, and the week leading up to it, so full of fun for me!

I wrote down all the entries in the order they came in -68 in all. A random number generator chose #60 and that was KnitSonya! Hurray!

And for my birthday- I took myself on a thrift store and antique mall shopping expedition. I found these-

And I know just what I’m going to do with them.

giveaway and internship

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Everything I am working on needs blue lately. I did a morning of dyeing when the weather was truely miserable, one day last week.

My birthday is coming up at the end of the week- Saturday. So…. I had so much fun last year, I decided to do another birthday giveaway. Just leave me a Happy Birthday on any of the posts between now and Saturday and you are entered. I am not going to make it hard for anybody.

I made this needlebook for the prize-

Actually, I turned a piece of applique that I’d already done into a needlebook. I might find some other prizes before Saturday. If I do, I’ll post them.

Another bit of business- I am looking for an intern if there is anybody in the Boston area who might be interested. I have contacted MassArt, but figured I mention it here too. Email me if you are interested- mimik(at)pobox(dot)com.

trip report 2

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We left Ithaca and we drove to Chicago for another event. 675 miles- 12 plus hours in the car… what a day. But, once I was there, I had a chance to meet up with Jan of Be*mused who has just recently landed in town. What fun that was! We planned to meet at the Bean and so I had my husband come with me to take a photo- I knew we’d one.

He asked me how long I would be with Jan and I said- I’m not sure but I have a feeling we have a LOT in common. We went and saw a show at the Chicago Cultural Center of the work of Tony Fitzpatrick. Amazing work- so inspiring. I could see applications for quilting, embroidery, collage, so much. I had never seen his work before… it has stuck in my brain.

Then we went off to have lunch… Wow- did we talk! For almost 3 hours! And, I can honestly say we hardly scratched the surface. I know I will be back to Chicago. Now I can’t wait. Hopefully Jan will find the perfect new house soon. I am looking forward to a studio visit.

Well, nothing else on the trip really lived up to that visit. I kept thinking (and talking) about all we’d discussed for days afterwards. I think my husband might have been getting a bit tired of my enthusiasm?

Anyway- some other photos.