2 Winter 2013 Applegater
The making of my moth doll
by RACHeL myReN
It was in mid December
on a dull gray day when the
question came to me, “What
do I really want?” This idea
of what I wanted was new
territory for me. What stirred
in me was that I wanted to
make a doll!
So , I s e t a s i d e m y
irrational fears and garnered
up the courage to just start
this doll having no idea what
was to come of it. I started
with the head. Once it was
stuffed, I needle-sculpted the
facial features. I then held
this little muslin doll head in
the palm of my hand. In that
very sweet moment, “she”
told me she “wanted to be a
moth!” I thought to myself,
“a moth… really? What kind
of moth? And, why a moth?”
Clearly, this doll knew what
she needed to become and I
had been chosen to create her.
It felt like such an honor! I
realized my role in this project
was to listen and to trust. In
a vague way this felt exciting to me in the
dull of winter.
For months she sat on my worktable
in varying stages of development and
frequently my sewing clients would ask,
“What is she going to look like when she
is done?” I had no idea! It was as if she
was unfolding in my hands, little by little
as I worked on her. I had lots of resistance
when it came to making the wings. This,
I knew, was an inner personal resistance.
These wings represented a profoundly
transformed state. Something was also
going on inside myself. I, too, was being
transformed by this process.
Insects have an exoskeleton made of
chitin so I represented these tiny scales on
the limbs with the appliqued dull lace over
the sheen of the iridescent silk dupioni
fabric. Her forearms have skin showing
Docile moth provides photo ops
by LINDA KAppeN
The second largest
and one of the most
recognizable insect
orders in the world is
Lepidoptera, which
includes butterflies and
moths. Moths make
up the largest number
in this order. There are
150,000 to 250,000
species of moths
with more still to be
described by scientists.
The United States
Pacific Green Sphinx Moth found at Applegate School.
has around 11,000
Photo: Linda Kappen.
moth species, and in
southwestern Oregon
moths were observed under porch lights at
alone there are 1,000 known species.
The Pacific Green Sphinx Moth the school. There are many similar habitats
(Proserpinus lucidus, formerly known as in our area and it is worth a search on your
Arctonotus lucidus) is of the Sphingidae porch to see the heart-shaped designs,
family that includes a majority of the bright olive-green color with rosy-pink and
moth species. Its range is in the Pacific light-brown lined markings.
This moth with its docile nature will
Northwest.
This moth is on the wing very early in let you photograph and observe it for a
the season from mid January to April. In long period of time. Observing moths can
southwestern Oregon the habitats for this be fun with their diversity of shapes, sizes,
species are oak woodlands or chaparral and colors, and fascinating patterns.
More information about moths can
mixed grasslands.
In the caterpillar stage, food plants are be found at the PNW Moths website
evening primrose (Oenothera dentata var. (pnwmoths.biol.wwu.edu) and Butterflies
campestris) and clarkias. Some sources say and Moths of North America website
this moth does not feed as an adult; others (butterfliesandmoths.org).
Linda Kappen
say it feeds on flower nectar.
humbugkapps@hotmail.com
At night you may see males of this
species attracted to light. This beautiful Ed. Note: Linda Kappen earned a naturalist
Pacific Green Sphinx Moth (see photo) was certification from Siskiyou Field Institute
found at Applegate School one evening (SFI) and has hosted a two-day butterfly/
during February 2010. Last winter several moth course there.
emerge completely transformed
with wings. Moths also seek out
the light, which is what this doll
is all about!
One day, about five months
into her making, it came to me
that her name was to be Harken,
which in Old English means to
actively listen. As it turns out,
Harken is a woman who is in
the process of morphing into a
moth. She is aware of something
changing within her. She can
sense the emerging wings, the
antennae and even the thorax,
but she is not able to see any of
these changes because they are
happening behind and above her.
From the front, Harken is dull in
color, much like a moth’s body,
but from the back there are bright
colors emerging on her wings.
Harken’s transformation took seamstress Harken’s upward expression is
Rachel Myren around 200 hours to complete. listening attentively to gain an
understanding of what she is to
through the lace indicating that she is still do with these emerging, brightly colored
changing. Moths also often have dull- “gifts,” her newly changing life form.
To finish, I gave her a single teardrop
colored, furry bodies. I “just happened” to
find the perfectly colored taupe fur for her on her necklace, which represents the
thighs, bottom and back on either side of bitter-sweetness of sloughing off the old
her newly emerging wings. Her “petticoat” and the taking on of the new. Change is
is made of white fluffy feathers, which rarely easy.
Doll-making can be a powerful and
implies lightness and coming flight. For
her hair I found the perfect combination personally transformative journey. The fact
of taupe and teal twisted together, which I is that the doll is me. Like a moth that
fashioned into pigtails of youthful-looking is so often not noticed, my life has been
looped braids. Somehow they reflect the largely consumed by invisible work that
newness of her emerging condition. Due is noticed only when it is not yet done.
to the imbalance created by the heavy Harken represents the transformation I
glass beading on the backs of her wings, am experiencing at what I call my mid-
I had to add three fishing weights inside life upheaval. I’m glad that I accepted the
her bottom. A little grounding is not a inner challenge to listen and create Harken
for she seemed to know what she needed
bad idea!
The question that most often came to become.
Now, after nine months, Harken
up was, “Why a moth and not a beautiful
butterfly?” My answer was that moths is finally complete. She continues her
are comparatively unnoticed. We marvel harkening—gently reminding me to sit
over butterflies and their graceful beauty. still, quiet my thoughts, actively listen and
Moths are not thought of as beautiful, to trust in this sometimes daunting inner
but they are if you really look closely. process of mid-life upheaval.
Rachel Myren
Both moths and butterflies go through a
541-846-0431
significant metamorphosis entering into
love2dance062@gmail.com
a still, chrysalis-like state, alone, to later
Diana Coogle joins the
Applegater Board of Directors
Diana Coogle, long-time Applegate
denizen and writer, has joined the
Applegater Board of Directors. Jumping
in with both feet, she also wrote a story
for this issue about some talented local
artisans.
After growing up in Georgia and
studying at Cambridge University as a
Marshall Scholar, Diana moved to an
Applegate mountainside where she lived
without electricity, closer to neighbors in
nature than to human neighbors, teaching
part-time at Rogue Community College
(RCC) and writing commentaries for
Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), happily half
a hermit, for more than 35 years. In 2006
she began a weekly commute to Eugene to
pursue a PhD in English and to teach at
the University of Oregon.
During graduate-school years she
acquired a wonderful granddaughter and a
new house (on her same land) designed by
her son, where she now lives, still happily,
with common electrical conveniences.
After graduating in 2012, she is home
full-time, continuing teaching at RCC
and writing. Diana has published three
books of selected JPR commentaries: Fire
The Applegater board is that much stronger
with the addition of Diana Coogle.
from the Dragon’s Tongue (an Oregon Book
Award finalist), Living with All My Senses:
25 Years of Life on the Mountain, and An
Explosion of Stars. In addition, with Janeen
Sathre, she has published Favorite Hikes
of the Applegate: A Trail Guide with Stories
and Histories.
Besides her many years as an
Applegater, Diana brings to the Applegater
board her past experience on other boards
along with journalism and writing
expertise.