Lily and Betty stand before Clarissa's showing of her latest paintings on canvas (with a few prints)
I didn’t walk Juneau’s Gallery Walk last weekend; instead I exhibited my latest paintings. There’s a first time for everything. I haven’t shown any of my Tlingit-influenced contemporary works on canvas until this past week. First I displayed my work at the Alaska-Juneau Public Market during Thanksgiving weekend, then a few days later at Sealaska’s Annual Holiday Fair, and then the next night at the First Friday Gallery Walk in Juneau. Three shows in one week. That’s enough for the year. I’m wiped out. Yet, I am energized by the public response to my paintings. I received three main responses: either folks loved the colorful images, or were taken aback and wondered what the heck I was doing, or they paid it no mind. All the responses were acceptable – if I had no responses, I think the work would be considered “dead.”
Clarissa with her Limited Edition of dolls entitled "An Ocean Runs Through Us"
I began working in this contemporary style about 10 years ago when i started making collages influenced by my friend Cecil Touchon (www.ceciltouchon.com). He encouraged me to take our hand-silkscreened reject prints and make collages. I had been saving the rejects for about 15 years and knew some day that I would put them to use and create collages. Then this past year, like Cecil, i began making paintings based on some of the collages.
Mary and Roz's "Trickster Visions"display their hand-crafted copper, abalone and Mother-of-Pearl earrings
Daniel Buckscott's photographs are a backdrop for his wife Jennifer's table of home-made jams and jellies along with home-made soaps graced with photo images of Daniel's Alaskan images
Perseverance Theatre were giving away tickets to "This Wonderful Life" if you answered pertinent questions of the classic play - opening night was the same night as this evening's Gallery Walk, Friday December 3rd - the play will run each weekend through December 26th (except Christmas Day)
Many thanks to fiddlers Lis Saya and her son, Lief who played Classic Christmas songs for several hours
First-time viewers of Clarissa's contemporary Tlingit-influenced paintings on canvas
Girlfriends since they were their children's present age, Miah Lager with son, Indie and Lily Hudson with daughter, Betty
...and with a Grandma...
Tlingit language teacher, Marsha Hotch with linguist Alice Taft and Clarissa
Grandma Kathy Hope Erickson with daughter, Kelsey and grand-daughter Isadora, and Lis
Lis Saya (again) with Irene Robinson and her daughters Katy Harman and Jacqueline Harman Tagaban