May 2, 2015 | Honoring Others, Latest Art Projects, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
A collection of antique fishing lures were hooked into becoming the embellishment to the next button robe designed and created by Clarissa Rizal
I’ve been collecting antique fishing lures from garage sales, antique and 2nd hand stores since 1999. While fishing with my father off shore at Outer Point back in the early 90’s, I had this notion that I would create a button blanket to honor my two older brothers and my father who were all commercial fishermen and also to just honor fish in general, especially salmon! Well 16 years later, my oldest brother and my father are now gone, and the other brother no longer fishes for a living because even that profession has nearly gone by the wayside too.
The salmon are disappearing; when our mother said that years ago, I didn’t want to believe her. Yet, we who are older than 50 have seen it with our own eyes. And the waters are so contaminated, that I will eat salmon maybe once a year because even though I crave our fish, I don’t trust what salmon are carrying.
I plan on creating a series of salmon button robes to mourn the loss of our salmon, however also to inspire faith our salmon will one day return in great numbers — maybe not in our lifetime, but possibly in our grand-children’s lifetime. If you, dear reader, come across antique fishing lures like those above, bring them to my attention so I can fetch them OR better yet, send them my way to my Alaska address or Colorado address – either way they will get to me! Thank you!
Apr 29, 2015 | Honoring Others, Tools-of-the-Trade |
Sally Ishikawa’s tool box is always handy…it’s prominent position rests on the corner of a kitchen counter!
Sally Ishikawa hosted a 5-day Chilkat weaving class at her home in Corvallis, Oregon back in December 2014. She was one of 5 weavers who are working together to complete a Chilkat apron gifted to them by the infamous Ravenstail weaver John Beard, who was gifted the Chilkat apron by another person. (See Blog post at: http://www.clarissarizal.com/blogblog/the-apron-apprentices-oregon/ ) Sally’s home was like a miniature gallery of hand-made arts and crafts by other artists, friends and herself, along with an art book collection that was out of this world, not to mention the fantastic landscaped back yard.
Though of all the things that stood out in her home was the practical, antique, wooden tool box which had its permanent place located on the corner of her kitchen counter: one side had the basic cooking tools, the other side the basic hand tools for minor repairs or adjustments around the house or garden. She has eliminated the rummaging through a kitchen drawer or dragging out the tool box and rummaging some more; when you need a tool, it’s easily accessible – there’s no searching! I just love it! — As soon as I find an antique tool box of sorts, you know what I’m doing!
The “kitchen” side of Sally Ishikawa’s tool box
Apr 9, 2015 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Class Act, Honoring Others, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Yukonian and Alaskan Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving students hold their wooden “warp sticks” along with dancers wearing Chilkat and Ravenstail robes (“Diving Whale” Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa Rizal, “Copper Child” woven by Lily Hope & Clarissa Rizal, “Grandmother’s Time” Ravenstail robe woven by Ann Smith — Kwaanlin Dun Cultural Center in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory – June 2013
Today, as I was doing some research on line about other Native American, Alaskan artists or Ravenstail and Chilkat weavers who may have blogs, I came across this article from Radio Canada International’s website:
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2013/07/10/chilkat-and-ravenstail-weaving-renewed-in-yukon/
Ann Smith and I taught this class nearly two years ago; she taught Ravenstail and I taught Chilkat. It was a blast. It feels real good to help inspire the local Yukon weavers to come back to their “woven” selves. Ann and I met when we were young like most of these gals nearly 30 years ago. Little did we know then that we would be helping to revive our nearly-lost weaving traditions. Who woulda known, eh?
Mar 12, 2015 | Honoring Others, Relationship Overdrive, Showing Off, To Market To Market |
The Hope grandchildren, Bette, Louis, Mary and Eleanor model hats made by Grandma Rissy!
After 20+ years of weaving Chilkat and Ravenstail robes, I have accumulated left over weft yarns in shades of whites, blues, yellows and blacks, not quite enough for any significant weavings, so I decided to put these yarns to use.
Grand-daughters Violet, Simone and Amelile–Chilkat hats made by Clarissa Rizal – Winter 2014-15
Nearly 40 years ago, instigated by the need for beautiful, ear-flap hats to keep the wind, rain/snow and cold out for my own children, I became a hat maker and there are a few folks out there who still have their winter hats that I made. Those hats back then have my design trademark at the top of the hats: the star or starfish, as shown in these photos. Now that I have grandkids, I am back to making these hats…happily, I have come full circle…!
Grandma Rissy has nicknames for all her grand-children: SikiKwaan, Ajuju, Wasichu, and Inipi — Chilkat hats by Clarissa Rizal – Winter 2014-15
Feb 3, 2015 | Honoring Others, Poetry Alaskan, Relationship Overdrive |
Clarissa and her children, Ursala, Lily and Kahlil – July 2011
A couple of weeks ago, one of my apprentices asked me if I would write a bio of myself that explained when I began to do my art and why. She said she had to choose someone who had influenced her life to become an artist; she choose me. This was an assignment she needed to present at her art class. My initial response was “Gee, I inspired her to become an artist? But I don’t want to write about me, it is so boring to go back that far and talk about who, what where when and why…” However, I gave her my word that I would do this for her that night. So, I “set the stage” with low lighting and a cup of tea; I do this whenever I have to write about my personal life to help me focus with very little struggle – then with very little editing, the words just flowed from my head down through to the keyboard onto the computer screen. Here’s what came…
19 January 2015
Sitting in the direct heat of the fake firelight of the electric Amish heater in my studio, always bundled in my sheepskin coat, sheepskin boots and hat because the heating device is not large enough to heat this one room where I work and sleep, I am never quite warm in Winter, though it’s better than being outside right now with 0 degree starlit snow. I reflect upon my life as an artist and wonder where it all started and if living the life of a full-time artist, especially now in a place without running water, without sewer, and without sufficient heat, was and continues to be, worth it.
No matter what age, for the past 59 years, I’ve always been a child of creativity, with a drive that is endless. I exist on 6 hours sleep a night; from the time my eyes are awakened by the early dawn until I suddenly stagger to my bed 18 hours later; like I am going-going-going, then gone! It’s only in the past couple of years that I realized that not everyone is like this; where have I been?
38 years ago today, my first child Kahlil was born, named after Kahlil Gibran who wrote many inspiring books including The Prophet, Spirits Rebellious, and my favorite The Broken Wings. Spiritually-inclined at a very young age, anything written about Christ had to be read; any paintings, prints and photos of Jesus had to be studied, so natural it was to read all of Gibran’s works when I was a young adult. And even though in the western way of living having a child at 20 was considered young, it was natural for me to think it normal because our Tlingit culture had the wisdom to know children are a gift of God.
My parents guided me into the way they were conditioned to get a “real job” to secure a pension plan to retire in 40 years. This worked for a little while. From the age of 14 to 20 I had real jobs working as a librarian assistant, a home-health aid for the elderly, a clerk typist for the Governor and for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Contracting, until of course Kahlil was born. Being a new mother was challenging; I was not a natural-born mother because I was such a tom-boy and it was next to impossible to stay indoors day in and day out while the baby napped, I had to keep up with the diaper changes and laundry, and he had to be nursed every 2 hours 24-7! Holy cow!
To keep my sanity I turned to gardening; it got me outdoors yet close to home! I turned to drawing, crocheting and sewing. While he took his naps, and directly after putting the entire household to bed each night, I’d stay awake ‘till at least midnight, creating; it was my therapy! During the raising of my three children, I made a living over the next decades in a variety of ways: besides designing and making Tlingit ceremonial regalia in button blanket, Chilkat and Ravenstail weavings, I was an entrepreneur before I knew what that meant. I made hats, I sewed custom-made clothing, created costumes for local theatre companies, owned a landscape gardening company, and was co-owner of an online newspaper. In the 70s and early 80s, I took up learning our traditional arts from some of the best artists of their time: carving, regalia-making, traditional song and dance, metal-smithing, basketry, Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving. Just before my children were grown up and gone I had created a name for myself as one of the few, if not the only, Tlingit women who has been a full-time artist working in all of the above mediums for nearly 40 years, all in the name of keeping my sanity and being a stay-at-home-self-employed-mother because I did what my mother recommended I do: stay home with my children.
In a few years I will be 65; do I see myself retiring soon? No way. I have no pension plan; I have no savings; and I surely do not have an inheritance. I cannot afford to retire. And what would I retire to!? Would I retire to taking vacations? What for?…vacations are boring; I don’t want to relax – relaxing is a lot of work! Would I retire to volunteering at something? I been there done that volunteering all my life with the house concerts I used to produce in my own home; with the children’s theatre I used to co-produce; with the art shows and classes I used to teach, just to name a few. Would I retire to what most people retire to? Watching TV from the couch. What for? Is that really fun, is it productive, is it creative, does it do anyone any good? The only results I see from watching TV is weight gain—too much potato chips!
Would I retire to what some of us retire to? Art and music.
Hello? I am already there; I have been creating art and playing music all my adult life. Does this mean I’ve been retired all my life? Hmmm…an interesting perspective.
It looks like I will continue doing what I have been doing for almost 40 years. Why change now? I’m in the groove.
My children now have families of their own. Each of my children and their spouses are self-employed artists. I have watched them struggle with making ends meet like the way their father and I made ends meet never knowing where our next paycheck would come from and if next month’s bills would get paid. I watch them live like I have, not afford brand new cars, not take any vacations, not have the latest styles of clothing, all the while living with tension about the ability to keep a roof over their heads, mouths fed, and clothing clean. However, there’s a sense of pride and awe that I feel when I see the fact that they stay at home with their children, making wholesome meals from scratch, tending to a flourishing garden, doing their “art” and their little kids “working” right alongside them: happy. These are values I did not realize were taught to them by my own example, someone who has passionate creativity, a drive that has always been driven, at the edge.
Kahlil is a professional film-maker/director who also teaches film a couple of days a week at the Institute of American Indian Arts; his wife Miki is a counselor at the Santa Fe Arts Academy; their 7-year-old Violet enjoys chess tournaments, sewing, ice-skating, gymnastics and basketball. Lily is an award-winning, professional storyteller/actress and also a Ravenstail/Chilkat weaver and teacher; her husband Ishmael is also a professional storyteller/actor, excellent writer who recently published his first book of poetry. They have four children who are being home-schooled. Ursala is an oil painter, block-print maker, graphic artist/web designer, and is president of a local Charter school she is starting; her husband Chris is a lead singer/songwriter in his band, a sculptor and a house painter. Their two daughters are obviously following their footsteps! My children and grandchildren live fully.
To my best of my ability, I live a life of integrity. I keep watch of what I do to see what I believe. My offspring and my work is love made visible. I follow my heart because my heart follows the source of creativity that inspires me and continues to drive me. I am old enough to look back upon my life and enjoy it a second time around. All my relations, my parents, my children and their children are proof of the legacy that I co-created and will leave. And when I leave, my conscious will be clear and free, knowing all that I loved and lived, was worth it.
Jan 30, 2015 | Honoring Others, Relationship Overdrive |
Ishmael and Lily Hope with their 4 children Elizabeth, Mary, Eleanor, Louis and Santa! – December 2014
Another fortunate child of mine who snuck in like her brother and sister when their mother wasn’t looking! Cheers to you for holding up with 4 children, and for making plans to go for your Masters Degree in Education, and starting the online weaving source called the Northwest Coast Weavers Supply, all this while helping to support Ishmael and his career as a writer and culture-bearer! You could sound like your mother, alas, you are your own strong-willed person — keep it up my dear while continuing to lovingly care for yourself! Lots of big hugs and kisses, my Nina!
Jan 27, 2015 | Honoring Others, Latest Art Projects, Tools-of-the-Trade |
Donna Beaver Pizzarelli, Al Pizzarelli, and Clarissa Rizal — street bench near Basin Road, Juneau, Alaska
For whatever reasons, my blog crashed on November 18, 2014. I didn’t know about it until three weeks later when I received a call from a total stranger out of Minnesota who was roaming my website and could not pull up my blog and thought he’d better bring it to my attention — like how cool is that!? How many people would go through the trouble?
In between her full-time job working for the USGS and doing her own creative works especially in Haiku poetry, and assisting her husband’s creative endeavors, Donna worked hard getting my blog up and running again, finalized today! YAY!
Check out Donna and Al’s poetry: www.haikuchronicles.com
Jan 23, 2015 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Honoring Others, To Market To Market |
Back side of my 1991 Toyota Corolla — Clarissa calls it her “Chilkat Mobile” — license plate “CNH 794” She considers these letters and numbers “good…!”
My “Chilkat Mobile” is originally from Juneau, Alaska. In December I put the car on the ferry for a 3-day sail to the port of Bellingham, Washington State. From Bellingham, I drove down to the mountains above Los Angelos, then across to Scottsdale and up to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. I drove through all kinds of storms, wind, rain, sleet, snow and finally sunshine! This car can make it up the infamous Wolf Creek Pass to Denver no problem. Though remember because it is a 4-cylinder, you have to drive in 2nd gear up the mountain passes.
Front of Clarissa’s “Chilkat Mobile”
“Chilkat” was owned by an elderly blonde woman who is now 92. 22 years ago, she and her husband bought two of these cars, a his and her pair: one for her, one for him. The cars were originally red, but they had both custom painted yellow. A little over a year ago, they both went into an elder-care home and so they sold both of their beloved machines. They took VERY GOOD CARE of these cars; in fact, they each had their own garage built especially for them; no kidding! Except for a few tiny nicks here and there from tiny rocks on the drive down here, the body is straight, no dents and no rust anywhere except for a small strip across the bottom part of the window on the back hatch door; I remedied that situation by placing yellow duck tape (the exact color of the car!) across the line of rust.
I bought the “her” car. Peggy was retired when she bought the car and had no children or grand-children, she mainly used the car to go do errands and such in the remote town of Juneau which has about 70 total miles of road as the town is land-locked. The car most likely did not ever go more than 60 miles an hour, if that, until of course, I drove it on the freeways from Bellingham — the car hums at 75 no problem with a load. When I drove down from Bellingham, I had the car packed with two suitcases, my paintings and prints and weaving looms. It probably hasn’t had any kind of load like that before.
On the car deck of the “MV Malaspina” ferry from Juneau, Alaska to Bellingham, Washington, then the long drive down to Colorado…!
Both cars were well maintained partially due to the fact that the husband was a boat and car mechanic as well as an inventor and both he and his wife were meticulous about everything they owned. I knew them personally. I grew up with them. They talked me into buying this car because they wanted me to have it because they knew I liked older cars and they knew I took care of my things. They also knew I needed a car to teach my classes up in Yukon Territory! For a 22-year old car, the interior is clean, barely worn anywhere because the car was mainly used by one person, so the grey upholstery is in great shape, no tears, no stains, no worn spots – there is only one worn spot on the carpet. I have my own maintenance records for a little over a year I’ve owned it since, I’ve had the oil changed three times; totally serviced and new rear brakes before I jumped the ferry with the car. I haven’t had to do anything major. It handles snow real well, hugs the road like a roadster; it’s a sweet thing!
As you can tell, I am proud of my “Chilkat Mobile”. I would not have sold it if it weren’t my need for a travel van. I need something larger because I am an artist who travels to a variety of shows “west of the Mississippi!” I need to carry all my art plus the display units. After at least 10 inquiries from prospective buyers from around the country in just a couple of days on the Craigslist market, “Chilkat” is now living in Taos, New Mexico with her new owner. I wish her a longer and more prosperous life; she served me well and in turn I wish her the best!
Jan 19, 2015 | Honoring Others |
My son Kahlil with his wife Mikiko and daughter Violet – July 2008
Kahlil has been a fortunate young man all his life; born in the year of the Dragon, a Capricorn with an Aquarian moon, married to a fantastic young lady with a beautiful child, how can things be otherwise?
An award-winning film-maker that has traveled the world, now teaches at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico and even though Violet is now 7 this March, Kahlil is actually thinking of “settling down.”
Your family is proud of you; your Grandma and Grandpa Lampe would continue to be proud of you.
Lots of love and big hugs, my “Stinkyboy!”
Dec 26, 2014 | Honoring Others, Latest Art Projects, Showing Off |
From a 22″ half circle, Clarissa irons the “Christmas Tree” napkins
Using my daughter’s cutting/work table, you can see the black foam core template and the cutting tools and the stacks of fabrics in the back ground with the already sewn half-spheres
Napkins for the in-laws — the Ellis’
When Sue Shotridge and I went into the “Island Quilter” store on Vashon Island to buy some sewing notions for a button blanket, we noticed a napkin in the shape of a Christmas tree – suddenly we just had to buy some fabrics to make ’em for ourselves and Christmas gifts of course!
Christmas Tree napkins made for the Hope Family
First thing you gotta do is choose a selection of colors you like; before you do any cutting, make sure you pre-wash the fabrics and then iron all the fabrics folded in half, right and left selvages matched up. Then cut a template from a piece of smooth cardboard, cut a half circle that is 22 1/4″ long and 11″ wide. Lay out your fabric with salvage edge on both the left and right sides. Lay the straight edge of the cardboard along each salvage. You will get 2 double sets of half-curve; with right sides together sew along all the edges except leave about 4″ open, this enables you to turn the fabric right side out. Press. Topstitch along the entire edges. Then fold the half circle into the “trees” (shaped above). Voile’ ! Christmas trees!
After pre-washing the fabric and drying, then iron all the fabrics you intend to use
I had a stash of about $500 worth of beautiful textured cotton fabrics I had bought about 10 years ago when I was commissioned to do a large 25′ x 15′ wall mural, which got “vetoed” at the very last minute. so finally I put them to use. Sure I could have sewn a huge mural (if I had someone else paying my bills while I sewed), or used the fabrics for something that would have brought in an income, however, I have great pleasure in making things for people, and it’s been since 1989 that I have done that. So I cut into all the fabrics without any harm!
A beautiful selection of 100% cotton fabrics
I made 150 napkins during the week of Christmas. It was very nice to take a week off from any kind of business and just do a sewing project for my family and friends. Sewing always has a calming effect with lots of joy felt within me — very healing. I gave some away for Christmas, gave some away for birthday presents and will give some away for wedding gifts this year.
Another nice selection of Christmas tree napkins – these ones for K & M !
