Jan 30, 2013 | Class Act, Relationship Overdrive, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Huddling together, Darlene See, Jeanette Tabor and Jean Lampe weave Chilkat headbands on the portable mahogany looms – 22 years ago in January 1991
How is an apprenticeship different from a workshop or class? As I understand it, in the old sense of the word, “apprentices” would learn from a “master” artist craftsman by getting acquainted first through various tasks, i.e. cleaning up the shop, performing menial tasks for the master, sometimes making the meals, doing the errands, etc., and then when the apprentice became “worthy” (by the master’s definition and time frame), the apprentice would assist the master creating works without pay. An apprentice could work with the master for several months to several years.
Two of Jennie Thlunaut’s grand-daughters, the late Phoebe Warren (left) and Louise Light (right), with Darlene See (center) and Clarissa – all three are weaving Chilkat aprons – in March 1992 in Clarissa’s “Juneau studio”
According to my definition of apprentice, in the very beginning, the woman jumps through a lot of hoops if they are going to spend time with me; I am not easy to pin down nor get to – I live in a remote place of Colorado and my Alaska home these days is wherever I can lay my hat (although I still plan on making a home in Haines…(sigh)…someday soon). I am also not going to waste my precious time with someone who just wants to dabble in Chilkat weaving, so she has to prove herself to me and mainly I want her to prove herself to herself. An apprentice is someone who pays (in Jennie’s words) “big money” to have me to themselves, one-on-one. The apprentice has such a strong desire to learn the intricate art of Chilkat weaving, that before she even contacts me, most have already bought their loom, drafted up a pattern, purchased Cheryl Samuel’s Chilkat weaving book, and have the wool and cedar to begin spinning their own warp – and if they don’t have any of their materials just before they get a confirmation from me, they get their materials together real quick!
Vanessa Morgan weaves her very first Chilkat project: a pair of leggings in the shape of a copper T’naa (Chilkat face above/Ravenstail pattern below)
It is okay for my apprentices to be “loyal” to me (meaning: they shall have no other instructor other than me). However, I do not require this nor do I suggest it, the reason being first, that I am not a “god” and there have been many”gods” before me (LOL), the second being that I believe it is a good thing for students to learn from at least another instructor, and of course, the students will learn from other fellow students. I encourage my students to share their experiences without fear of “doing the wrong thing.” There are four techniques in Chilkat weaving: the 2-strand twine, the 3-strand braid, the interlock and the drawstring. Everything else that we learn are tricks-of-the-trade, and we can learn these things from watching other weavers, learning from other weavers, and listening to other weavers. Jennie had more than one teacher. She learned Chilkat weaving first from her mother, and when her mother passed when Jennie was 12, she learned from her aunties. Note the plural. And who knows how many other fellow weavers she learned from in her 84 years as a Chilkat weaver!
Vanessa Morgan and Clarissa Rizal with their Chilkat “T’Naa” Leggings
Also understand that if you are a beginner, intermediate (or master?) Chilkat weaver, be easy on yourself. As you are a student in learning about life, you will always be a student in learning the vast “seen and unseen” intricacies of Chilkat weaving. There’s more to Chilkat than meets the eye. I am weaving my 5th Chilkat robe; this is the first robe where I feel like my fingers are flying through the robe as if I know what I am doing; what(!?)…it’s taken me nearly 25 years to FEEL like I KNOW what I am doing! Hahahaha! And although there are some shapes I am not familiar with weaving, I am figuring it out just by logic and reason and having an artistic eye (which really helps!), and I have asked myself why it has taken myself so long to begin to feel “comfortable in my skin with Chilkat”…that answer is unfolding as I write. So if you think I am a master weaver, you can quit that. I tell you what, even after 96 years of being one of the most prolific Chilkat weavers in Chilkat history beginning at the age of 12, Jennie did not call herself a “master” weaver – other people called her that to which she replied at the 1985 class she taught in Haines: “…me a master weaver? I am not a master weaver…I am still LEARNING!”
Vivian Land – one of Jennie’s four granddaughters who began to learn Chilkat weaving during Clarissa’s first Chilkat weaving class in 1989.
I encourage my students to pay attention to their emotional and spiritual parts of themselves; this is one of the most important aspects of Chilkat weaving that Jennie taught me; these are things that are not easily conveyed in anything written on the history of Chilkat. According to Jennie Thlunaut “…it’s the spirit of the person that counts,…not just anybody belongs to Chilkat…this is not to have big heads about it…that’s not what this is about…this is about our people, this is about our precious land, this is about our relatives, the animals of the ocean and land and sky,…this is about appreciating this that has been gifted to us, given to you…always give thanks for what you got, for what you have been given…before you go to your loom every day, first thing you pray and give thanks…go to your loom clean – clean mind, clean heart, clean body…”
Jan 8, 2013 | Acting Out and Musical Chairs, Health and Wellness, Showing Off |
After my mother and brother passed away in 2011 (along with other major “losses” in my life between 2009 and 2011), I felt I needed a “happy fix” or mend or healing; something that would help me let go of the trauma and drama. For a long time, I felt a ukelele was coming to me, lingering around the eaves…then one fine Fall day in 2011, I bought myself the ukelele…and except for a 6 month period last year, I’ve been learning all kinds of songs and strums…it is truly the instrument of happiness and peace! – If everyone played the ukelele, there would be world peace!
At the beginning of 2012, I made a goal to learn one new song per week on the uke; i was going good until the first week of May (when the Ex presented another curve ball in my life). Since May, I hadn’t played much less learn a new song every week – not until Christmas Day 2012; I spent the day playing. My granddaughter was looking through these two song books (below) and I had forgotten we had these two gems for many years on the kids’ bookshelves. Such a delight to find “Ghost Riders In the Sky”, “Tingo-Lay-O” and “This Little Light of Mine” (amongst other old timey favorites like “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”). I play some of these songs with a combination of Native American chant, spaghetti western and Hispanic rhythm – if you can imagine that.
I learned three Christmas tunes including my all-time favorite “The Christmas Song” (starts out with “chestunuts roasting on an open fire…”) and I learned all of the above tunes as well. I also learned the traditional Andean tune “El Condor Paza” made famous by Simon and Garfunkle. I almost made up for lost time last year learning about 10 songs the past three weeks to the already 25 songs I know (4 of them Bob Dylan tunes).
For those of you who are interested in playing the ukelele, buy the next size up from the standard size uke, the “concert” size, from the Hawaiian Music Company. Buy one with a plug-in so you can have the option of using an amp. The uke is fairly easy to play. To learn a few traditional and pop songs, plug into youtube and search for Ukelele Mike’s ukelele lessons. He’s pretty simple, clear and ….well, different.
I appreciate the addition of this dear friend in my life. Once I master this little guy, maybe in the next year or two, I am going to get myself the cello!
We’ve had these two kid’s song books in our family for over 25 years. They came with cassette tapes but those are long gone with all the moves we’ve made in that time period. Once you learn your chords, take up these books; they are packed with old-timey, simple songs that even your grandchildren will love to boogie!
I have no intentions of getting pulled off track this year if I can help it any. I intend to learn one new song a week during this year. Thank goodness I still have my aging wits about me that I can even REMEMBER the words to the songs! heehee!
Playing ukelele during late Spring in the Colorado mountains at 10,000 feet amongst a grove of evergreens, aspens and wildflower meadow – the great thing about the ukelele is that it can go with you just about anywhere; it is lightweight and portable and when you put it in the overhead of the plane, people think you’re a violin maestro instead!
My friend Shar Fox just emailed me the group of folks playing ukelele, the Juneau JamBusters in Juneau, Alaska — check them out on their website at: http://www.juneaujambusters.com/
I know where I’ll be when I return to Juneau!
Jan 7, 2013 | Honoring Others, Latest Art Projects, Ravens & Eagles, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
After drafting the pattern in pencil, then I outline with a black Sharpie marker
Have you noticed that even though I may be weaving on a Chilkat robe for a year or two, I do not ever show the process of me weaving on this blog until AFTER the robe is completed? The reason is because I was taught by my teacher Jennie Thlunaut that whenever Chilkat weavers are weaving a robe (as opposed to an apron, headdress, leggings, etc.), that we are not to publicly show the robe to the person(s) who has commissioned the robe. Another Tlingit taboo? I don’t know. While I was weaving with Jennie, I gave up asking her the question “Why” every time she told me certain Chilkat “guidelines.” I remembered that the elderly folk of that time period and before did not explain the “why” of things – you just did what you were told, and that was that.
Using the Sharpie marker, I fill in the form line. I used elements from a couple of robes. This is a Diving Whale with an Eagle in the right side of the body and a Raven in the left side. – The far right design elements are called the “filler.”
I apologize that I cannot show you the process of weaving this robe. My goal is to finish by May 1st this year; then I will post a sequence of photographs.
Jan 5, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Latest Art Projects, Showing Off |
I taught my granddaughter how to cut with scissors last year when I was making collages; she’s two years old. Here she cuts confidently a Life magazine of McGovern (the 70’s!) to apply it to her collage sitting on the table at the Museum of International Collage…!
Mother and child inspect the first collage; not too much criticism though – it will be included in the exhibit…I dare say, I think she may be the youngest contributor to the museum’s collection and exhibits(!?)
Jan 3, 2013 | Honoring Others, Relationship Overdrive |
I introduce and wish to thank my friend Cecilia Arnold, who has worked for and with me for almost 20 years in a variety of fields from gardening, to house-cleaning, to art and administrative assistance. In her former life before moving to Colorado, she was an art professor at Penland School of Arts and Crafts in North Carolina. We ran into one another the day after New Year’s at my favorite western store of all time, Goodman’s. – Hey, Notice the cell phone cover!
Since the birth of my first child 36 years ago this month, I have often said “a woman needs a wife!” It wasn’t until 1994 when I moved into my Colorado home that I took my own “medicine.” When I have been able to afford it, I have hired my friend Cecilia who has been an invaluable asset to me as an artist, mother, gardener, home-maker and business woman. Cecilia has been nearly a “wife” – like a kind of “mid-wife” per se in that she has helped “born” many a project, many a plant and many a clean home! Ladies, I suggest you obtain a “wife” especially when you’ve got a lot going on – she’s the ultimate stress-reliever!
Jan 1, 2013 | Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Crayon sketch #1 is prototype for one of several paintings to do this year…
Last year in February 2012, my friend Lis Saya gifted me a box of “woodless” colour pencils (more like crayons); she thought that pencils without the wood were fascinatingly unique so she bought herself a set as well. During a concert, we sat together and put our sketchpads to use! I’ve posted a few sketches from my drawing pad; these will be used as “patterns” for my next few paintings this year…
This one reminds me of the coloring of overlapping shapes we’d do in Kindergarten, so I call this one “Kinder-ed Spirits”
This line drawing reminds me of the red earth canyons in the Southwest with varying levels, boulders and pebbles…just ink on paper
One of my very first charcoals in a long time; this reminds me of seaweeds and bull kelp…sometimes I just doodle and these are the things that come out of me…these kinds of drawings allow me the freedom to just play. They are not structured, purposeful, sophisticated art for example, the button robes and Chilkat weavings. I like the structure and the playfulness of both ways of being and doing.
And hey, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
