Join us as we explore the story behind Mouseland, Maggie Rudy's miniature world of wonder and imagination. Rudy is a children's book author and illustrator who creates and photographs alluring worlds that anyone can become captivated by. It is through Maggie's talent and constant flow of creativity that allow her to fashion something beautiful from "nothing", bringing her characters to life.
"My name is Maggie Rudy. My roots are in Northern California, and my childhood was spent there, in England and in Oregon. My mother and grandmother were artists and making things was a way of life. My father is a biology professor and our lives were shaped by his studies and interest in the natural world. He did his post-doctoral at University of Lancaster, and the two years we were in England had a profound effect on my aesthetic development. It coincided with me turning seven and becoming a reader."
Is there a quote you live by that you implement through your work?
“I’m a big believer in persistence” -Barack Obama & “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”- Mary Oliver
Is there a story about how you got involved in this field and what is the inspiration behind your work?
There was a toy store in Lancaster that sold gray felt mice, and my sisters and I were enchanted with them. When I had children of my own, I made a pattern from one of the old survivors, and started making them for fun. The first mouse house began when I was listening obsessively to the news during a national crisis. I wanted to do something with my hands, and in retrospect, I think I was making a world that I could control. I started photographing the mice and their environments in about 2010, and my first picture book was published in 2011. I suppose I’m always trying to get back to that imaginative place in childhood where you could create a tiny secret world under a table or in a mossy log.
Do you ever experience creative blocks; and if so, how do you overcome them?
I do occasionally, but they don’t last long. I find going outside for a walk in the forest usually recharges me. Also staying off of social media which I find is terrible for my self-esteem when I’m in a fallow period.
I unexpectedly ended up sheltering 500 miles away from my home and studio for the last two months, so I haven’t been able to work. I decided to post every day for all my followers who are stuck at home..a daily mini-vacation to Mouseland. It’s been interesting going through my ten years of images and seeing how the work has changed, and gratifying to hear that the mice are giving delight to old and new followers. I’m eager to get back to my studio and start on a new book, I hope by next month.
There is a quote by Edgar Degas that says:
"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."
Through Maggie we are able to explore a whole new world. It is more than just artistry to admire, but one that inspires. Thank you Maggie, for this dreamlike art that you give us.
Story by: Alyssa Gisselle Olvera