Delays and Polish Illustration

Well, the chaise screenprinting is not complete. That is, there have been some delays. Dear Reader, you can expect to see a completed chaise next week. Dog's Honor.

What do you want to talk about today? Delays? How about an interesting illustration book that I found in the library the other day? It's filled with Polish book illustrations. Here are some of my favorites:

[Click on images to make them bigger.]

This pictures a robber getting away. Zbigniew, himself, looks a little sneaky, doesn't he? Harriet used to date a Zbigniew, and she says he was also sneaky.

Here is my favorite:
A lovely village scene.
This book called Polish Book Illustrations, was published in 1964. That means Krystyna is now 82 years old.

I also like this train picture. I really like to ride on trains and don't get to often, what with things here keeping me so busy.

This one shows an expectant father and son going to a cyrk, whatever that is. I don't think Eryk here ever goes to cyrks.


And finally here is Bohdan Butenko, overseeing his nice pictures. You can see me and Harriet riding on his plane back in Harriet's more adventurous days.



Don't the Polish illustrators dress nicely? Hector thinks we should institute a new dress code in the studio, but as we all know well, he's not in charge.

That is all for now, Dear Reader. Please join us next week,
And please think of us often,
Your friends,
advisors,
and animals,
Harriet and Mickey

The New Math

Good afternoon Reader,

Perhaps you are acquainted with The New Math? It's a new way of doing math. Harriet, apparently, is very against it, being so expertly expert in her multiplication tables. But I am all for more freedom in my calculations. It's kind of like glasnost, but for math.

Annie just finished a new math trilogy, which clarifies the subject. Here it is:


But what does it all mean, you ask.

Well, my good friend, think about it.
Here it is broken down. Start first with the division:



Then calculate the difference between the house and the boy,


Add the two things together and you should come up with this:


If you didn't come up with this answer, then you were wrong.

More on this and other subjects next week.
Your tutor
and friend,
Mickey

Shower Curtains

Hello Readers!

I was away last week so I didn't write to you. This week I am back, and so I will write to you.

Well, the hand-printed shower curtain is finished and is Somewhat Disappointing. Annie didn't iron the prints long enough (you must iron them to set the ink), and much of the ink came out in the wash. Here is the shower curtain with two of the three final stamps done, pre-washing:


And here it is with all three stamps after being washed.


Perhaps we can get Our Roommate with the Sewing Machine to make us another plain curtain to try on. In any event, we were not entirely pleased with the color scheme, so it could be good to have another go at it.

We did, however, make some prints on paper of the "H Monster" print, based on a drawing by the elder weasel. These look terrific:




In better news, Annie is preparing to print our studio chaise with a pattern from by Lena Corwin, who wrote the great printmaking book that has inspired these projects, Printing by Hand. We got a screen made by the kind folks at RC Silkscreening in South Boston. It's beautiful in an of itself.

More on that next week.

Until then, rest assured,
that we wish you
a very Happy Easter,
or at least,
some very good chocolate,
your friends,
Harriet and Mickey

Flooding and Flat Files

Hello Readers,

Here at the H&M headquarters we've had 3 DAYS STRAIGHT of rain. You know what this means: lots of water. Luckily we are situated in the attic and our roof did not leak. Here is a photo of the little brook that passes by our gentle abode.



In other news, we have recently acquired a set of Flat Files (grey ones).


This is a big improvement for the studio and will help keep our important papers flat. We have purchased several big items for the new studio, and I never miss an opportunity to have buyer's remorse.

The purchase of these particular Flat Files involved a Long Drive to a Remote Place, Stopping to Withdraw cash at an ATM, realizing that our ATM card was No Longer in Our Wallet, buying the weasels a Bag of Cheezits, and Convincing a Total Stranger to let us pay with a check. Naturally when it came time to inspect these Flat Files, I was not in the calm and detached state which is ideal for inspecting New Purchases.

When I got them home, I looked them over and thought, "What Have I Done? They are much too heavy and are probably not meant for storing paper at all!"


Do you have Any Idea how much they weigh? Thirty pounds per drawer! That's at least twice as much as I weigh. This was the onset of my buyer's remorse, which I have since recovered from. A local steelworker helped me carry them up to the attic, and so far the floor has not caved in.

In any event, they give the studio a very professional air, which is Much Needed.

I leave you here, cherished blogworm,
safe in the knowledge that our papers are flat,
and,
our roof doesn't leak.

Your good friend,
Mickey

New Studio

Hello again readers!

You know Hector told me that some bloggers post daily to their blogs. But we all know that he is filled with all sorts of misconceptions about how the world actually works.

Today, in my second consecutive week of blogging, I am going to talk about our company's new headquarters. Did you know that this is our fourth location? First we were in the Fenway, then in Charlestown, then in West Newton, and now in Milton, Massachusetts. Harriet says pray God this is our last move. (I don't know what she's talking about. She didn't lift a finger during the move.)

Well. It's taken us quite a while to get settled, but the studio is beginning to shape up. Have a look.



This is my computer desk, where I am right now, writing to you!

These boxes hold paper and envelopes. For correspondence.

Here is our drawing table where Annie makes things by hand, the old-fashioned way.



This is our work table for framing and other projects, like printmaking.


And this is our new chaise for reading and company research. It's not quite in its finished state as Annie is going to screen print a cover for it.

I hope you've enjoyed your brief tour. Please know that you are always welcome to come visit us.

Your good friends,

Mickey and Harriet

Abashed

Hello Readers,

I'm feeling a little abashed, which is what happens when you combine bashful and ashamed.

It's been a terribly long time since I last posted, and I know how much my multitudes of readers count on me for practical tips and general wisdom.

I was going to stage a photo and tell you that I was stuck between the mattress and the headboard for all this time, but you deserve better than that, devoted reader. The truth of the matter is that I was enjoying my new house. It's so lovely here! And generally hanging out with Bernice and Big Mickey.


"Where is Harriet?" you ask. Well, don't worry: she has a chair all to herself where she is less jostled. You know her condition.

Business at Harriet and Mickey has been somewhat slow, as a result, but we hope to pick up the pace here. Annie is at work on a shower curtain design that's based on the weasels' artwork. Here is the overall pattern:



And here is the first block print, carved out of rubber. They are very fun and easy to carve. It feels like carving cheese, really.


And that is all, devoted reader, for now.

Until next week,
I remain,
your friend,
Mickey

Animals Cohabitating

Hello Readers,

I have been posting mainly about the animals I live with lately. My roommates, as it were. Very much like humans, we animals too run into personality conflicts and the like with each other. For instance, Harriet's recent obsession with healthfood. Or Johnny's constant buzzing around my Halloween candy. He keeps saying he's "just looking."

Anyhow. Things could be worse. Here is a video I came across this week of some animals cohabitating and not well.



I hope you're getting along with your roommates. After all, we all need a place to live.

Your friend,
and counselor,
Mickey