Lisa Kellner

I was turned on to amazing Brooklyn based textile artist Lisa Kellner via Emily Barletta's blog and have fallen in love with this wall piece made of head pins. Lovely. Just had to share! Go see more.

New Header… WOO hoo!

I begged my web designer Dave (aka my boyfriend) to re-design the "Midge's Mind" header at the top of my blog tonight at around 12:15am ----this, just after having carried a 150 lb refrigerator down 5 flights of narrow stairs from an apartment in Manhattan, where it was then loaded into the car, and transported from the west village all the way to Brooklyn---- also at my request.

What…?! it was free and perfect for the studio!

I'm so spoiled.

So… what do you all think about the new header?!

the problem with blogging…

Pinakothek sums it up best…

" This is the problem with blogs: You start blogging in an idle moment, and one thing leads to another and you wake up one day to find that you have readers. And readers, no matter how coolly disinterested they are nor how they are getting the deal free gratis for nothing, eventually become something like customers: they begin to have expectations. They expect frequent deliveries of new material. For the blogger--excepting, I guess, the fanatically driven or the logorrheic--the situation is like being a columnist, like one of our heroes at the great gray New York Bugle, with all the problems and responsibilities inherent, only you're not being paid. You're still bagging groceries to pay the rent, and that profession like all others has its seasons and its crises. "

I have disappeared, I know. Life has been so busy, and my work has taken over. I am constantly in the studio, yet always feeling behind. Not to mention the temptation of summer-time fun and activities. I've been feeling so guilty for not writing! This is supposed to be fun, not pressure! Sometimes I just need to allow myself to fall off a bit when it comes to blogging. 

Something REALLY big deal has happened in regards to my work, however I'm not sure I can spill the beans about it just yet… I'll let you know as soon as possible, promise.

Dave and I are leaving for California on Thursday for a week on vacation. We're starting out in San Francisco, then driving up Route 1 to Mendocino, and back down again to San Fran. It should be a fantastic time, I can't wait! I'll make an effort to be more on top of blogging when I return.

From a winter wonderland submerged in almost 2 feet of crisp white powder to just four hours south, without so much as a speck of snow to be found anywhere… the drive back to brooklyn was certainly bizarre. It was a winter vacation reminiscent of many childhood winters for both Dave and I and the nostalgia had us in a bit of a trance I think. The snow delayed our return home, but in the long run we're both glad we stayed a little longer.

It has been a sloooow adjustment back to city life this week, but I'm getting there. My email pile-up was WAY more intimidating than I had anticipated and I've been dealing with some pretty major reluctance and procrastination as far as getting into my studio to prepare for the Balitmore ACC show this February. I can't believe I only have a month to create and prepare. To be perfectly honest, I'm feeling paralyzed on many levels and for various reasons.

Because of this, I decided it's time to weed out some unnecessary distractions and blogging is sort-of up there on the list. I'm sorry to announce… I'll be taking a break from my blog for the next month or so in order to better focus on the huge priority in my life that I'm feeling overwhelmed by. It feels like the right thing to do and I'm sure you all understand. That's not to say I won't pop in if I feel like I absolutely must share something, but to allow myself the extra time for my work will (hopefully) be worth it in the end.

Happy 2008 everyone!
xo

Tagged

I was tagged by Annie of Imogene and as a result I have to provide five/weird random facts about myself. Okay okay, here goes…

1. I drink a tall glass of iced coffee every morning, even in the winter. Milk, no sugar. (I prefer it over hot coffee but will drink hot if that's all that's available.)

2.I put the toilet paper roll on over, never under.

3. I consider myself an agnostic.

4. I am a firm believer in please, thank you and other good manners. I can't stand it when I hold the door for a stranger and they don't say thank you.

5. When I misplace something, like a tool or whatever in my studio, I fantasize that a little elf/troll thing is playing a trick on me and hiding it, because then when I turn back around, it's right there in front of me and I have a hard time believing I could have missed seeing it. (Somehow it's easier for me to entertain the idea that a troll hid it and replaced it in one split second. Yes, I'm crazy.)

I tag:
miss dot
lynette andreason
corey ackelmire
camille young
catherine chandler

the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

The F word

Today I'd like to discuss my feelings about the F word. No, not that F word…

FEMINISM.

It was brought to my attention last week, (thanks Melanie) that on October 30th I was featured on a blog called feministing.com - coincidentally you may notice it is listed in my blog roll and one I happen to enjoy reading quite often. When I first heard I was featured, my initial reaction was excitement… 'Really?! Awesome!' Followed by a growing pit in my stomach as I was informed of the blogs, shall we say, less than flattering critique of my work.

There are many blogs out there that talk about my jewelry. Googling my name brings up a vast assortment in fact. I tend to ignore most of the ones that randomly feature my work for shock value as they rarely warrant a response or reaction from my end. This time was different however, this time it was personal. I knew I needed to respond. I felt upset and confused; like a school girl suddenly rejected by her friends for no reason. A cause I had felt so aligned with my entire life - FEMINISM - was condemning me!?

I spent the next five days revisiting my feelings about what it means to be a feminist, to me personally as well as in reference to my work. I wanted to respond without the sort of reactionary, "knee jerk," angry motivation with which the blogger regarded my work. I enjoy mulling things over, looking at things from different angles, it's my way. Yet even after so much consideration, I still feel like I can't possibly cover all I would want to in regards to this topic.

It's good to have an initial reaction to an artist's work, that's what we as artists' strive for after all, right? SOME reaction! To generate a feeling from the viewer. To connect visually. It's also good to dig a little deeper sometimes, and explore why a certain piece makes you feel ______ [insert emotion here] particularly when it is a strong reaction, as it so obviously was for Samhita, the blogger who wrote the post. I consider myself to be a very open-minded person and I appreciate a solid debate. I don't want to say Samhita isn't entitled to her opinions, just that I don't feel she spent enough time truly thinking about my work to warrant a review on feministing. Of course not everyone has to like my art jewelry, but doesn't it at least deserve a shred of examination prior to condemning it as simply 'Another Example of the Objectification of Women?' People are all too often quick to point the finger without proper research into intention.

My sense is that perhaps Samhita has very little experience with the process of evaluating art and what it is to critique. Her brief, bashing commentary was little more than one-dimensional, short sighted, uninformed criticism and frankly an example of poor journalism coming from an otherwise reputable blog. Thankfully some kind reader promptly posted my name and artist statement in the comments following Samhita's review - which did not even bother to mention my name. Again, responsible, respectful journalism?

Particularly insulting however, was the likening of my work to the men's urinals that have been featured many times on feministing. (WARNING: before you click that link, the image actually IS offensive and certainly not what I consider art.)

In spending some time with the idea of "dismembered" bodies in Art, I've found it's not a concept I'm personally appalled by, in fact I'm rather attracted by it (as evidenced in: this post, this, this, this and this …all favorites of mine) Admittedly, the reason behind the draw for me is something that warrants more exploration on my part. Commenter "Djiril" put it this way:

"The thing about dismembered women being common pop-culture and serious art is interesting, and I think it merits more exploration. I also think we should try to find out more about the different reasons why all these artists, feminists and non-feminists alike, choose to portray dismembered women in their art, before giving a blanket condemnation of this trend."

The many, MANY, thoughtful, intelligent comments in response to the blogger's post redeemed a sense of 'feminist community' for me personally. Comments from total strangers who actually took the time to look at my work with a little insight. It was also good to know there were people who "got it" and were capable of seeing my intentions. It wasn't 'feminism' rejecting me after all, it was just the opinion of one individual with the power to shed an unflattering light on seven years of my work through an enormously popular blog.

Comments from the post that I particularly appreciated came from: Tina, lizadilly, and vicSin. Melanie, the woman who originally brought the post to my attention, wrote her own reaction on her blog which is also really great. You can check it out here.

There are many varying degrees of feminism, and not everyone will agree about everything. I enjoy these subtleties. The feminism I personally subscribe to is one that honors shades of gray. Not everything can be black and white. Not art, not life, not feminism.

A new face

Hooray! My postcards arrived today! D designed them (of course) and we decided to go with vistaprint for the printing. When all was said and done it cost about $70 for 250 postcards, but what was most impressive was the turn-around time. We ordered them on the 7th… they arrived on the 12th! The colors are slightly off, but overall for the price they're pretty decent. They'll be great for the Crafty Bastards show so people can walk off with a little something that has my name on it.

It was time for a new look for my blog and I decided to go with something cleaner and more streamlined. Since blogger only offers so many templates I thought this was a nice simple choice and better matches my website. I hope you like it too :-)

You may have also noticed my profile Midge has been replaced with a new doll… time to switch it up, and I just love that doll's face. I don't have the heart to cut it up… yet.

Another Blog nod!

Annie of the fantastic online shop Imogene (that I have been fond of since last Xmas's Craftacular at Warsaw here in Bklyn) has just let me know she's a fan of my work as well! (blush blush) Annie is also a guest blogger for 2modern design blog and she informed me that she blogged about my work back in May. Very sweet, thank you Annie!

Annie reps some fab artists in her shop, including my friend the candy thief, but she also has her own etsy store where she sells her wonderful jewelry. Oh, and if that was not enough links to keep you busy, her personal blog is great as well!

I am currently coveting this gorgeous necklace of hers:

Blog nods

Many thanks to "nature vs. machine" for the feature on her blog Sewcial Suicide on August 8th. Aside from her fun blog dedicated to independent design, "nature" (I couldn't spot a name for her…) makes lovely handmade items herself as well and sells them on etsy. You may check her shop out here!

I was also featured on a fellow MICA alum's blog recently, Made in Mississippi. I love that artist/blogger Amy Evans was reminded of Magritte when she spotted a pair of my eye earrings, as Magritte was very inspirational to me as a high school student. What a great connection, and surprisingly, not one I had ever noticed before now! You may purchase some of Amy's beautiful work at her etsy shop and see many more examples on her website. I am particularly drawn to this etching/drawing below for sale at her etsy shop for just $15 as well as many of the paintings on her website.

Thank you for your kind words of support ladies!

Thinking Blogger Award!

Wow! I was bestowed the honor of receiving a "Thinking Blogger Award" by bead artist Lori Greenberg and I can honestly say I am shocked! Really I was convinced that there were 3 people in my life that read this blog regularly: Dave, my mom, and my friend Kate. It didn't bother me much however, I guess because the purpose of this blog for me was more an exercise in self-discipline than anything. As well as a forum for celebrating my successes and pondering and blabbing on about random musings as I contemplate my journey through the highs and lows of my creative life. But to learn someone else, someone unrelated to me, is reading my blog… regularly?! I really do feel honored. See her post here.

If there's anyone else out there reading and/or lurking in the shadows, please feel free to say hello and let me know you're there! It would really make my day.

So here's how this works: since I was tagged, I now choose my top 5 blogs, those I read regularly and the ones that make me think…

1. Art Biz Blog Art coach Alyson Stanfield's blog, this one is the ultimate thinker! It persuades me to focus on all the things I often (don't wanna!!) think about to keep me on track with my business. An endless source of helpful information.
2. Plastic Girl Liana Kabel's blog, the blog that started it all for me! She inspired me to start midgesmind and I continue to visit her Plastic Girl blog for insights and inspiration. I think she's fabulous.
3. Design*Sponge I visit this blog regularly because I'm always inspired by the great design blogger Grace Bonney highlights. I've discovered more artists and designers through this website than any other. Makes me ponder current art/design trends.
   
4. The Carrotbox I had to include this blog because it has introduced me to SO many jewelers around the world that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. Always inspirational. Always gets me thinking about art jewelry.
   
5. I Totally Hear That! I have to second Lori Greenberg's choice with this one. Hands down my favorite music/pop culture blog. Writer Mark Blankenship has got it right, especially when he says things like… (in reference to the Miss Universe Pageant): "I know, of course, that women all over the planet are subjected to constant human rights abuses and that in America they still hit glass ceilings every day. However, I naively believed that misogyny and objectification were only peddled as entertainment in lad mags like Maxim and Stuff. I didn't know that such things were still being sold to us in the guise of female empowerment." Yes.

Now for the rules, should you thought-provoking bloggers choose to respond and continue the award giving:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn’t fit your blog).

The Broken Plate

Thanks so much to Juliet of The Broken Plate for her blog post about my work. Not only did her blog turn me on to some incredible artists, (such as Tara Donovan - wow!) but Juliet's jewelry made of broken plates is so fun it makes me wanna smash something and have jewelry made out of it! (if it wasn't for that damn Corelle dinnerware, that stuff never seems to break!)

Abigail Percy

Many thanks to the talented Abigail Percy of 'Whip Up' for the blog feature about my work! Check it out here. Abigail is a jewelry artist and blogger from Glasgow. She creates beautifully modern, yet organically inspired pieces such as these earrings I am currently coveting:


I also really enjoy the elegant way she has displayed her work. Her paintings/drawings are as lovely as her jewelry:


Abigail has an etsy shop where you can purchase her jewelry and also sells at Rare Device in Park Slope (which interestingly enough also carries work from Swallow where I will begin my employment this week! Small, small world.)

Tag! I'm it.

I've been "tagged" by the lovely Liana Kabel. At first I honestly didn't even know what that meant, but after a bit of research it seems my duty to reply. (actually it just seemed like fun!) So here are six things people may not already know about me…

1. I once met Richard Simmons in an airport and he broke out into a song from "Rent" the musical, right then and there. He had just returned from seeing it in NYC. I was very embarrassed.

2. I'm really into scary movies and crime shows. CSI Las Vegas is my all-time favorite.

3. When I was young and playing with Barbies (yeah yeah I know, I still do) I made up the name "Amereze Betrin" for one of my dolls. It's a name that has stuck in my family and periodically gets discussed at family gatherings. I have NO idea how I came up with a name like that.

4. I occasionally like to eat peanut butter and miracle whip sandwiches (thanks mom). Hey, don't knock it til' you try it!

5. I'm right-handed, except when I cut with scissors. It's the only thing I do left-handed, but here comes the weird part: I can only use right-handed scissors on my left hand.

6. I have two tattoos.

David Balogh… you're it!

Thank you Detective…

I wanted to send a warm thank you to the Eclectic Detective for mentioning my work on her blog on January 11th. Blogger LisaJay does a fabulous job scouting clever and interesting design - in all it's many forms. It's a fun resource, so check it out!

Also thank you to Mark Blankenship for the shout on his blog, I totally hear that which I frequent oh, pretty much ALL the time. Check it out for the low down on what you should and should NOT be listening to in the world of pop music. Mark praised my work as well as my best friend Kate's work on December 26th. We MUST all get together someday soon in this fine city!